Pokémon Ranger: Secret of Oblivia
by The Ghost-Ninja Guy
Summary: Ben and Summer, two Pokémon Rangers, find that their mission to save the Oblivia region has taken an unusual turn when they awaken the sign of Latias and Latios. The secret they discover may transform their lives and connection forever. TF Last chapter up! Now featuring a cover image.
1. A Strange Feeling

From anywhere in Oblivia, one could see a large pillar of what could only be considered light energy rapidly ascend skyward from somewhere deep in the ocean. Anyone with a telescope, binoculars, or impressive vision who looked at the light's origin would be able to see that it shot into the sky from a rather small island, if it could be called that. This island, known to few Oblivian residents as Tilikule Island, was the smallest of the seven islands and did not garner much attention aside from the sparse plant life and two ancient, yet durable, stone monuments that stood unaffected by the passage of time.

Near the very source of it all stood two humans and two pokémon, the only visitors to the island in a long time and the ones behind the light pillar's appearance. One of the pokémon, a pichu, was unique in that it held a ukulele that let it calm some of the more aggressive pokémon with music. The other pokémon was a large and imposing yet gentle bird of prey known as a staraptor, who possessed enough strength to carry everyone present. In spite of the bandages on one of its talons and wings, it was as strong as ever due to its dislike of falling behind in flying ability, and had the physique to show for it.

The two humans, one male and one female, were Pokémon Rangers. These rangers wore a different uniform compared to that of most rangers, boasting a yellow scarf and blue goggles for starters. Their clothing, a red vest, blue and white shirt, blue finger-less gloves and shorts, red belt, and red and blue shoes, was designed to support them in any environment, and was aided by the technology of the capture devices known as Stylers they wore on their wrists. This time, however, neither amount of technology nor years of experience could protect them from the stunning rush of airy, calm feelings the pillar aroused within them. Seconds later, it faded and left behind a glowing triangle on the smaller of the two structures. The pokémon looked at their friends in concern, wondering if the light did something to them.

"You felt it too, right Summer? I'm not crazy, am I?" the male ranger asked his ally moments later, breaking the silence. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Summer, uncertain about his current vision. He could swear he saw her glow red, if only for a split second, before his vision returned to normal.

"No, Ben, you're not," his partner replied, returning the gaze. She blinked rapidly, only speaking again once she was sure things were okay. "Something about this feels...familiar..." She walked near the edge of the island and looked towards a distant island that appeared to be the main focus of their mission. Layuda Island was a large, agriculturally underdeveloped landmass that stretched skyward like a mountain. With no way to safely dock there, the only way to get on the island would be to fly, which would not be a problem were it not for the thunderclouds surrounding the place that thwarted their previous attempt. As she stared at the seemingly endless lightning storm that safeguarded the island, she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever came over her was something hidden inside her a long time ago. She placed her left hand on her chest and sighed, unable to sort out the anxiety that gripped her.

"Ben, this feels... unusual. It feels like a part of me that went missing long ago. I've never felt this way before." The ranger shook her head and went back to staring at the thunderclouds. Piercing through her confusion, to her mixed relief, was a feeling that the Pokémon Pinchers had already made it through the deadly storm and reached the legendary electric-type pokémon Zapdos before they could. "I know this sounds weird, but we should try focusing on our mission. We have to protect Zapdos from them."

Ben and the others stood next to her and gazed unflinchingly at the distant storm that brewed despite the sky being calm everywhere else. All of them were determined to do what they could to prevent something horrible from happening to Oblivia, but in their current state, the storm would surely fry them and any chances the region had of becoming peaceful once more. They looked at the clear sky and sunlit ocean, taking solace in how calm the setting looked and knowing it could be disrupted at any moment if they did not hurry.

"You're right," he replied. "We need the help of Latias and Latios if we want to break through Layuda Island's storm clouds, and we won't get their help just standing around." Latias and Latios were two legendary dragon-and-psychic type pokémon known in legend to have helped the historic Hero of Oblivia long ago. They were the only hope the rangers had of reaching Layuda Island unscathed, having witnessed their impressive flying prowess firsthand while Staraptor flailed about in the storm. Their speed, psychic abilities, intelligence, and ability to become invisible made tracking them impossible unless either dragon was being careless or their Sign was discovered, and since the first possibility was way too unlikely, the rangers elected to follow the mythology to learn the sign. Yet, knowing all this, no one could suppress the feeling that this would not be the simple mission they thought it was. In fact, though neither member of the party would say it, they knew their lives would never quite be the same after today.

* * *

><p>"I won't forget this!"<p>

The humiliated Pokémon Pincher quickly flew away on his flying vehicle, known as the Z.Z. Flyer, hoping to forget the loss of his pokémon to the two rangers. After they released the pokémon, they faced the monument again and read the plaque attached to it. As soon as they finished, a third pillar of light shot upwards. At the same time, vivid images of the sky, serenity and, strangely, companionship filled their minds. Both rangers closed their eyes and smiled as the emotions the images triggered took hold. It was only after Pichu and Staraptor's concerned cries reached them did they return to reality.

"It's getting stronger, whatever it is. Why do I feel this way?" Ben wondered, shaking his head. He frowned as the pleasant emotions he felt faded away, though he felt them linger a little longer than last time.

"I doubt this is just something random, especially since I feel it too," Summer said as she rubbed her eyes. "We've never even touched these small monuments. There's definitely something fishy about this." She eyed the monument, and for a moment she giggled before she caught herself. Ben frowned, clearly unnerved about the recent events. He and Summer had dismissed the earlier incident as just some unusual phenomenon, but after going through a more pronounced version of it, he was no longer sure it was a coincidence.

"To be honest, it's scaring me. Let's be careful...if we can."

* * *

><p>The monument they visited had cast visions upon them just like the first and third monuments. These were even stronger than the others, however, and had caused the underwater world to temporarily disappear around them. Were it not for their Stylers' Voice Navigator vibrating and blaring an alert to return to the surface, Summer and Ben would surely have drowned in the Eastern Sea. As soon as they got their bearings, they re-boarded The Union, the Ranger Union's ship, as fast as possible.<p>

"You two don't look so good," the current driver of The Union said. He looked at his panting friends in concern. "You sure took a long time down there. Aw, don't tell me you're seasick! We don't have anything for that here."

"No, it's not that Murph!" Summer replied quickly. She sat down on a pile of ropes and breathed deeply, tending to her unease. She glanced at Ben, who had taken a seat of his own, before sighing as she rubbed her eyes. "This might sound crazy, but I think our state has something to do with those monuments. I mean, we weren't feeling this way before."

"I wonder if there's a curse on them," Ben suggested, "one that's meant to protect them from the likes of the Pinchers." He let out a sigh of his own and leaned against the port. "I'd like to think we'll be okay, but with the way things are going, I am not so sure anymore."

"Hey, hey! We shouldn't be moping around! That is a real buzz kill," the chief of public relations said. He smiled as he continued. "You two activated the last monument needed. I say we regroup at Rand's before you head out. That storm is doing a good job keeping those Pinchers away, and I don't think they'd spend all night trying. They would get fried like an egg." He chuckled at his small joke, causing the others to laugh slightly. Murph docked the ship and led everyone to Rand's house.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, everyone," the currently sole inhabitant of the home greeted. "How goes the search?"<p>

"They found all five parts, Leanne," Murph happily announced. He walked closer to her as the two rangers took a seat on the couch. "Something's up, though. I think they could use a break."

"Why's that?" Leanne looked at the duo, noticing the drained expressions they had. "If it's exhaustion, that is understandable. After all, they did travel all over Oblivia. Has something else happened?" Both rangers soon fell asleep where they sat. Murph led the archaeologist a small distance away from them.

"Supposedly," Murph whispered, "the monuments they went to did... something to them. Summer says they started seeing clouds and feeling giddy. Ben thinks they might be cursed. If you ask me, I think they're just tired. Also," he looked at them, "is it me, or are they looking... brighter than usual?"

"I see...This is certainly unusual. I should look into this. Curses are not to be taken lightly in a world like ours."


	2. An Even Stranger Message

A dark void greeted a subconscious Ben. In an instant, he knew he was not alone. He could not quite grasp why, but he could feel that Summer was in here as well, though neither of them were visible. Something about this disturbed him: he had no psychic abilities that he knew of, yet he could detect her presence without even seeing her. On top of that was the feeling that he and his friend were really sharing a dream.

"I'm sure this is just a coincidence," he reasoned, not completely believing the explanation he made. "We're sleeping close to each other, that's all. I'm probably feeling her head against mine." For once, however, he was glad nothing else was happening in this dream, as opposed to his previous nightmares about Summer being stuck with the Pinchers or his fall into the ocean.

_**It is time**_.

Ben frowned. The deep, booming voice shattered his hope of an empty dream. He wondered if the voice was referring to the strange events he and his human partner went through. The ranger did not want to remember all of the confusing visions dumped upon him and Summer by those monuments, despite the sensations of happiness they gave him.

**_You must protect your region once more_**.

Summer groaned, having absolutely no idea why the voice was simply restating their mission. Barring a few minor setbacks on her part, she felt they were doing exactly that. Their journey through Oblivia had been all about protecting it from the likes of the Pinchers and aggravated pokémon, and she certainly had played her part in their current progress. What else could this voice mean? What did it mean by "once more"? Interrupting her thoughts was a flash of light that briefly illuminated the void before leaving behind a red, glowing sphere in front of Summer.

"What is that? What's going on?"

**_Reclaim what was once yours._**

Neither of the rangers understood what the deep, booming voice meant by that, and it shook them to the core. And yet... the voice, despite being loud, did not instill fear in either of them. Both could sense a familiar and calming power behind the voice, as if they were speaking with an old friend, though it did little to sort out the confusion that plagued them. The blue, glowing sphere in front of Ben only caused him to be as confused as Summer was as she too saw a glowing sphere, though the one before her was red in color. Suddenly the spheres slowly moved toward them. As this happened, yet another vision flashed through their minds. However, in stark contrast to the clouds, forest, star light, and water seen previously, this vision showed an aerial view of a burning forest and pokémon fleeing the scene. Four humans were leading the pokémon to safety through the blaze. Just as a large crowd of pokémon formed outside the forest and began fighting the fire, a loud cry rang out.

**_Return home_**.

At that point the four humans disappeared simultaneously. The view quickly switched to the trapped pokémon, who were buried under a large pile of boulders and trees. A surge of mysterious energy caused the objects to lift slightly, creating enough of an opening for all of the trapped pokémon to escape. Soon the energy began to falter, and eventually the objects fell. The rangers were finally able to see each other, but to their surprise, they saw the Eon pokémon instead of each other.

_**Make yourselves whole as before.**_

* * *

><p>Ben and Summer woke with a start and stared at each other, neither able to fully grasp what they had just experienced. Before they could ask each other questions, Leanne tapped them on their shoulders, getting their attention. The archaeologist grabbed a small, badly damaged book from the round table. Although the cover was generally nonexistent (apparently, not even the title survived), the pages appeared legible despite what must have been years of decay and neglect.<p>

"I found something really intriguing regarding your condition in this book." She giggled a little bit, excited by her new discovery. "It tells a few secrets about the Hero of Oblivia and was most likely written by that mysterious Amun fellow." Leanne took a seat and opened the book to one of its pages. "Shall I read it to you?"

"Please do," they said in unison. Ben and Summer looked at each other, surprised by their shared thought, but decided it was a coincidence and looked back at Leanne, who continued.

"'The Hero of Oblivia's gender was never ascertained. Some have thought it to be female, with others believing a male saved the region long ago. This ignited a fierce debate that caused bouts of insomnia for the unfortunate onlookers. For health reasons, it was suggested that there might have been more than one hero, and both sides calmed down, swayed by the logic of the situation. By then, however, the legend of a lone unknown hero had grown too popular to incorporate this belief.'"

"Well, that certainly makes sense," Summer said. "Heroes are often never alone, and have someone to assist them if need be." Ben nodded in agreement. "But...what does that have to do with us?"

"This next bit might answer that. 'Due to the Hero's unusual ability to reach far places in little time, it was widely believed the hero had the aid of a psychic-type pokémon. A popular variant of this belief was that the hero was secretly a pokémon in disguise. This was fueled by the hero's positive nature towards pokémon and slight apprehension to human contact. Additionally, some claimed to have seen the hero disappear into Teakwood Forest for an unknown length of time, and when they would investigate, the hero would always be found in a home that was gone the next day.'"

Ben interrupted. "Wait, that doesn't seem fair. Maybe the hero just felt more comfortable that way." He found it strange that the text bothered him, but decided to put his feelings aside for the moment.

"Perhaps, but I have much more to read. It's important." Leanne turned a page. "'The hero was known to command the respect of several legendary pokémon. Among them, the most notable ones were the Eon pokémon Latias and Latios. Witnesses say they worked as one unit, perhaps to the point where none would ever see the hero without one of the duo present. Complicating things was the fact that both Eon pokémon were rarely present at the same time, and in the few events where they co-existed, the hero was nowhere to be found.'"

"You mean, for example, if Latias was flying about, Latios could not be seen?" Summer wondered. Confused, she added, "Where do we fit into all of this?" Leanne smiled at the question, barely concealed excitement evident on her face as she turned the page.

"This last part should answer your question. 'The last known sighting of the Hero of Oblivia was during the Great Teakwood Fire. On that day, for the first and possibly only time, both the Eon pokémon and the hero were seen at the same time. Rumor has it that the hero occupied multiple areas at once to lead the pokémon to safety and combat the destruction of the forest. All the pokémon were evacuated; however, neither the hero nor the Eon pokémon returned. No one knows why they disappeared.'" Leanne closed the book and looked at the listening rangers, who appeared star-struck by what they heard. "What is the matter?"

"W-we shared a dream about that fire," Ben stammered through the shock. "I believe we did. It felt like we were looking at each other, only..."

"We weren't ourselves," Summer finished. "Before that, we heard a voice telling us to 'take back what belonged to us'..." She paused for a moment to let the information linger. At that point, a somewhat older-looking ranger walked in. He wore the standard-issue uniform most rangers wore.

"Repair work on the Wireless Tower is going slow," he reported, "but I'm sure we'll be up and running in the near future. How are things here?"

"Hello Rand. Well, I just showed them one of my books about the Hero of Oblivia," she responded. "Hold on, I just had an idea...why don't you two..."

"YES!" they shouted immediately, quickly rising from their seats and startling everyone. Pichu opened his eyes and jumped up, sparking a little bit. Once they realized what they did, they apologized in mild embarrassment. "It just came to us."

"...As surprising as that was, it only further confirms my suspicions that there is more to you two than your recent activities would have me believe. I think you know what has to happen now."

* * *

><p>With Staraptor's help, the group were once again at Tilikule Island, staring at the moonlit Involith before them. A gentle breeze blew in front of them, making their scarves flutter in its path. As if guided by memory, Ben and Summer touched the object. Five dull green circles appeared on its surface, and they felt a wave of uncertainty wash over them that caused them to step back.<p>

"Summer, I've been thinking...about this whole mission in Oblivia..." Ben began. Pichu looked at his upset friends sadly, wishing he could help soothe the quiet emotional storm taking place. Alas, to his dismay, he knew his wondrous ukulele was no match for such complicated feelings. He rested near Summer's staraptor and resigned to leave them to handle things.

"What is it, Ben?"

"Well, we...we make a good team, don't we?"

Summer looked down. "I'm not too sure...I was captured before I could even set foot in this region, and you've had to do most of the mission by yourself. Looking at things, I haven't been too helpful to you after you rescued me at Mitonga Temple." She began to feel melancholy, but Ben took hold of her left hand, halting the feelings.

"I wouldn't say that. When I took the hit for you and plunged into the sea, I had a flashback of us speaking with Professor Hastings, and I kept focusing on you. This might sound corny, but when I woke up, I somehow knew you would be okay. Secondly," he continued, "you put a tracker on the ship you were in and kept contacting me, which means you're resourceful. You've been helpful everywhere, assisting me and Pichu in our captures. You two even captured Suicune after I was dazed by one of its attacks. We wouldn't have gotten this far without your help, Summer." A moment later, she pulled him into a hug, smiling in gratitude over her friend's words.

"Thanks, Ben. I always knew you would be okay too. If Red Eyes targeted you instead, I'd have done the same thing," she replied. Ben returned his friend's hug, smiling as he did so.

"We do make a good team." They broke the hug and stared back at the Involith, dashing any more doubts they had.

"Now, let's summon our new friends and protect Zapdos." They switched their Stylers to Sign Mode. Summer took the top left circle while Ben started at the top right circle, and together they drew the Eon Sign. Once they met at the top center point, the emblem glowed, and the familiar cries of Latias and Latios rang through the air, surprising the rangers and their partner pokémon, who immediately headed to their side. In an instant, both Eon pokémon appeared in front of them, each one facing the human with the same gender as them. Summer and Ben readied their Stylers, but before they could begin, both dragons were slowly enveloped in spheres of red and blue light that made them appear transparent.

_**You shall reclaim your lives**_!

The spheres of light rushed at them and enveloped them.


	3. Small Changes

"Ben?"

"Summer?"

"What's happening?" they cried simultaneously. "I feel really weird!" Eventually the light parted just enough for them to see each other, though as they looked around in the purple prison, they realized they couldn't see their partner pokémon. Both of them sighed in relief, glad that their partner had come out all right. Their relief was short-lived, however, when they suddenly jerked their heads upwards in response to a tugging sensation on their heads. Summer was the first to recover.

"Ben! Your ears! What's that silvery stuff on them?" She pointed at his ears in alarm.

"My ears?" He felt them and gasped as he felt fluff instead. Ben was surprised by the slightly increased volume of the ocean waves. He could even make out the faintest sound of movement beneath the waves and the cries of their alarmed pokémon friends. He looked at his counterpart, noticing the white fluff where her ears once were, and pointed at them. "Your ears are fluffy too!"

Now it was her turn to gasp when she looked at her hands... or rather, paws, when she attempted to examine her new ears. Her arms had become very thin, and past her elbows were two red shells that covered her forearms and hands. Three claws replaced her fingers. Oddly enough, her Styler still remained attached to her right arm, though its size and shape had changed slightly to fit it. Summer noticed that the same thing had happened to her ally, only his shells were blue. Their gloves fell off, having been torn to shreds by their shells when they grew out.

"It can't be... Are... are we turning into them?! This has to be a trick or something! The Pinchers must have been onto us and set up an ambush!" she shouted worriedly. She believed she and Ben were simply seeing things again, but as their legs and feet faded away, she quickly began to doubt her words. Strangely, they did not fall; instead, they floated a few feet from the ground. The shorts they wore were torn by their expanding feather-coated torsos, falling off of them entirely once the expansion stopped. Short, jagged shapes grew from where their legs used to be. The bottom part of Summer's new body was red and had a small tail while Ben's was blue and lacked such a feature.

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that. This is definitely something they, or anyone really, couldn't hope to do," Ben said as he looked at himself. "It feels too real to be fake." Both of their necks elongated and were coated in the same down that covered their ears, causing their jackets and shirts to fall off. Two wings shot out of their backs, with Summer's appearing smooth in comparison to Ben's, which were angular in shape. All that remained of their clothing were their goggles, which, like their Stylers, adjusted to fit their new forms, and their yellow scarves, which hung on their necks loosely. "Whoa... it feels like my mind is expanding! What's with this surge of power?"

"I feel it too, Ben! We really are becoming the Eon duo! It's incredible!" Before she could say anything further, the duo felt their heads compress and become oval-shaped, with Ben's face narrowing to a tip. The same down that covered their wings, torsos, and arm-shells appeared at the top of their heads, surrounding a patch of the down that covered their necks and new ears. An opposite-colored, round triangle appeared on their chests as their eyes changed color and shape, with Ben's becoming red and slightly narrower than Summer's now amber eyes. The light that had imprisoned them slowly dissipated, and they found themselves in the familiar setting of Tilikule Island.

"Is it over?" both rangers wondered a minute later. To their surprise, the transformation had not caused them any physical pain as slow as it was. The only things that remained on them were their Stylers, their yellow scarves, and their goggles, with the rest of their clothes lost to the changes. Suddenly, even more visions flooded their minds, but this time they were able to understand them all. Summer looked at Ben, still surprised to see that he was now a latios.

"Now it all makes sense." She jumped upon hearing her own voice, which had become airy and slightly higher in pitch. "Our mission together isn't just a coincidence; it was meant to happen," she continued. "The visions, the feelings... Is this what that voice meant?"

Ben looked at her, mirroring her surprise. "I guess... this isn't just a mission anymore. Latias and Latios... We used to be them, right? That fire we saw in the vision... we did something that day. We helped the hero put a stop to it." His voice had also become airy, although it was slightly lower in pitch. The new Eon pokémon looked up at the moonlit sky. "This is all so much to take in."

The other new Eon pokémon smiled and hugged him comfortingly. "Don't worry, Ben. You're not alone in this. It is a lot to take in, but I'm here for you."

"Summer, what will the others think?" he asked worriedly, looking at her. "I mean, we were just turned into pokémon, legendary pokémon at that. It's certainly not going to be easy to explain, assuming they're even able to handle the fact that pokémon like ourselves would visit them. What about our duties as rangers? Can we still fulfill them?"

"Hmm... Well, you're right about us. Most humans will rarely have a chance to see legendary pokémon, much less interact with them," she admitted as she broke the hug. "But that doesn't mean we can't keep being rangers. Sure, our shapes changed, but our minds haven't. In fact, I feel more committed to being a ranger than I did before. I feel like we can do so much more for Oblivia now." Ben looked at his new paws, then at her.

"You mean... like we used to?"

"...While I'm not sure we're the same latias and latios as the ones in the visions, I do mean like we did before this happened. What makes us rangers is our dedication to the world we live in. Right now, we have to keep those Pinchers from waking Zapdos and unleashing something horrible on our ho- I mean Oblivia."

"...Well, when you put it like that, I guess it makes sense. If the visions are to be believed, we've always been rangers. In a way, we were meant to be partners."

"Speaking of partners, where did Pichu and Staraptor go?" As if on cue, Pichu and Staraptor returned from an aerial flight and ran over to the pair, confused and worried for their human friends.

"Who are you?" Pichu asked. Ben and Summer were surprised they were able to understand him perfectly, but quickly recovered.

"Pichu, Staraptor, it's us, Ben and Summer," Ben explained. "That light that trapped us turned us into Latias and Latios." Pichu looked at the torn clothing and squeaked in fright.

"Wh- where are they? What did you do?" Staraptor cried, just as disturbed.

"I promise it's not what you think, Staraptor," Summer said.

"Why do you sound like my friend?"

"It's just like Ben said. Those lights that separated us from you did this to us. Look, we're even wearing the same scarves, goggles, and Stylers."

"I... I don't believe it. Those Pinchers must have been on to us and set a trap," Pichu said resolutely as he looked around. Summer chuckled to herself at the repeat of her earlier thought.

"We're serious. Uke, why would there be shredded clothing here?" Ben asked, using the nickname Rand had made up for the pichu a while ago. "Do you really think we would willingly leave you two here without our clothes? Sure, it doesn't bother us as much as it used to, but still..."

"How did you... You read my mind, didn't you? Don't do that," he replied, annoyed by the name.

"Wouldn't that be cheating?" Summer posited. "Listen, you can deny it all you want, but the facts are right in front of you. It's just plain ridiculous to believe we would suddenly and willingly leave not just you, but all of Oblivia, and I could never call myself a ranger if I did that."

"Neither would I," Ben added, slightly frustrated. "If you truly won't believe us despite the overwhelming evidence, we can leave you with Booker and the others. We have to head for Layuda Island to stop the Pinchers." Summer looked at Layuda Island and visibly shuddered at the dark thunderclouds that obscured much of the mountain.

"That storm looks fiercer than it did last time. Maybe we should head over there in the morning. Murph did say the storm would probably keep them at bay."

"Good point. Besides, we won't be able to see where we're going without any sunlight." Ben briefly wondered how he could stop floating in the air before finding himself falling onto a small patch of grass. "Maybe we should figure out how to do this," he muttered, embarrassed as Summer and the others laughed.

* * *

><p>The four of them woke at the crack of dawn to a slightly cloudy sky. As soon as they finished stretching, they looked at Layuda Island. Staraptor was understandably shaken by the sight of the storm that nearly struck her down and stepped back.<p>

"It's okay, Staraptor," Summer said as she hugged her partner pokémon. "I won't make you do something like this. Listen, why don't you head over to Rand's? After everything you've been through, especially with having to carry us everywhere, you deserve a long break."

"The rest of us can resist the electricity," Ben added confidently. "We'll be fine." Staraptor sighed sadly and nodded, unable to deny that Layuda Island was simply too dangerous for her.

"You know, I'm willing to believe you two really are Summer and Ben," Staraptor said. "I gave it a lot of thought last night, and what you said really makes sense. Plus, I can still feel the bond we had before this happened. It's just gonna take some time to get used to things. This really has been an adventure."

"All right, then. Pichu, if you want, you can go with Staraptor. We understand if you still don't believe us."

"Actually, I'll give you two the benefit of doubt. I think it makes sense, too," Pichu replied, crossing his arms. "I want to stop something horrible from happening to Oblivia, and I could never call myself a ranger if I didn't play my part."

"Can pokémon be rangers?"

"Sure! Just look at you. You can still use those Stylers, right? Anyways, I'm coming with you," he said as he hopped onto the latios's back, to Ben's mild irritation. With that, Staraptor nodded and flew off toward Renbow Island after wishing them luck. Summer looked at the retreating figure and smiled.

"Just you wait, Staraptor. Your time will come." She then flew upward and faced their destination. "Ben, did you have the same dream I had? That voice spoke to me again and taught me how to move."

"Actually, I did. Also, I remember it taught me how to use my powers. It seems like this voice, whoever or whatever it is, wants us to get used to our new bodies as soon as possible. Let's see..." Ben's eyes glowed a light blue for a split second before returning to normal. He then flew to Summer's side. "Hey, Pichu. Try to jump off."

"From all the way up here? Why?" Pichu asked timidly. "That's such a weird request."

"Just try jumping to her. You'll be fine, I promise." Pichu shrugged and attempted to do so, but found he could not move a single inch.

"I made it so that any movement won't send you into the ocean, so to speak," he said smugly, sensing his friend's question. "Since we'll be flying really fast, you will also be protected from the side effects."

"Hold on tight, Pichu!" With that, they put on their goggles and soared toward the island.


	4. Arrival at Layuda Island

"This storm is actually really helpful," Ben commented as he effortlessly dodged a bolt of lightning. "I'm remembering how I- I mean Latios- used to fly all those years ago." Using his new-found psychic powers, the latios deflected two lightning bolts into the clouds they came from.

"I agree!" Summer added enthusiastically. The latias twirled in the air, narrowly dodging the electricity that threatened to singe her wings. "This whole thing will still take some getting used to, but it sure is fun."

"Fun?! Even for me," Pichu said, flailing around wildly, "this is too much lightning! Wah!" he cried out as a lightning bolt zoomed past him and clutched Ben's neck more tightly. Ben smiled and encouraged him to relax.

"With our powers, we might not have to capture as many pokémon for our Target Clears, and we should be able to deal with the Pinchers more effectively." They continued to dodge and deflect the lightning as they made their way to Layuda Island. Ben looked at the peak.

"Even with our resistance," Ben explained, "it's too dangerous to simply go to the top. The lightning there is too frequent for us to dodge. We should be better off at a lower elevation." They flew lower until a cave in the mountain became visible. "There! That looks like a good place to start."

"Hey, Ben, do you see that? There's so many wrecked Z.Z. Flyers. They must have had the same idea. And look!" she cried, pointing a claw near the cave. "There's someone here!" The latias took off her goggles and flew closer. A young man wearing one of the Pinchers' uniforms lied near a badly scorched vehicle. Several cuts and burn marks covered most of his body, and his hat lost its top, exposing his black, electrified hair. From the small breaths he took, he was still alive, but had lost consciousness long before they arrived. Feeling sorry for the wounded man, Summer approached him and tapped him. "Hello? Are you going to be okay? Please get up." Ben hesitantly (to his surprise) joined her and nudged the youth, rolling him onto his back.

"...Urrghl..." he groaned weakly, opening his eyes and coughing. "That fall really hurt... Did I... Am I alive?" As the two dragons gave him some space, he looked at the thunderous sky and frowned in disappointment. "What a horrible mistake I've made, joining the Pinchers," he lamented. He coughed once more and stood up shakily, wincing in pain. Once he turned around, he gasped in shock upon seeing the other wrecked flyers and the two Eon pokémon. "Latias _and_ Latios?! I thought only one of those dragons lived in this region...! Am I hallucinating? If you're not a hallucination, I-I-I'm so sorry! Don't eat me!" he cried hysterically, holding up one of his hands. The Capture Gauntlet in his hand appeared to be broken beyond repair, and in his current state, he was almost completely harmless to any pokémon or the environment. He attempted to back away, but soon found he was out of ground. Before he could fall over, Ben grabbed him and pulled him back to safety.

"What? We're not gonna eat you," Ben said, bewildered. "That's crazy talk!"

"I-I don't know what you're saying!" The man shut his eyes, lost in his hysterics. Ben face-clawed, having forgotten that most humans were unable to completely understand exactly what pokémon were saying. All the man could hear from him were light cries. He focused and tapped into his psychic abilities, projecting his speech into the man's mind. "Oh great, now I'm hearing voices. I'll never join another bad guy group again, I swear, even if I'm desperate for money!" Ben frowned at the male's increasingly paranoid state. He grabbed him to keep him from falling off the cliff.

"Maybe we should use the styler on him," Pichu joked.

"I wish Rand were here," Summer said. "He'd definitely put this guy at ease." She suddenly had an idea and moved closer until she brushed up against the ex-pincher. The latias smiled as warmly as she could and nudged him.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Opening my heart to him, just like our stylers can do." It was not long before her efforts succeeded and the injured man began to respond.

"W-wait... you're not... here to hurt me?" he asked them. He nervously reached his hands out and rubbed the two Eon pokémon on their heads. They sighed in mild pleasure as he did so, and he smiled and relaxed as much as his body would let him. Once they knew he was calm, they floated away.

"Hide away from the storm in this cave," Summer mentally instructed him after briefly focusing her power. "We'll come back for you and take you home. I promise."

"There's something we must do here first," Ben said.

"Wait!" the young man called out. After coughing for a short bit, he resumed speaking, guilt evident in his voice. "Why are you being so nice to me? After... after I and the others chased and harassed you and the other pokémon..."

"Don't worry. You can fix things later, but right now you have to stay safe. Hide in the cave so the lightning won't hit you." Ben, Summer, and Pichu entered the cave, leaving him to the mess outside.

"What is with that odd gear they're wearing?" he wondered as they disappeared into the cave. "Is that... ? No, it couldn't be... Is it even possible?"

* * *

><p>"This place must be crawling with Pinchers," Pichu mused. The two dragons stopped as they listened to him. "What to do? If we take them on now, they might cause an uproar and overwhelm us."<p>

"Pichu's right," Summer agreed. "We'll need to sneak past them."

"Hmm... Summer, do you remember what that voice in the dream said?" Ben asked.

"Not exactly. What are you talking about?"

"I remember it happening in a clearing in some forest. '_You can blend into your surroundings by bending the light around you,_' the voice said. It then wanted us to try and do so. I think it went something like this." His entire form shimmered before slowly disappearing before Summer's eyes.

"Wow! That could really help! Strangely, I can still see Pichu," she commented, "but the scarf, goggles, and styler are hidden with you."

"I guess it doesn't spread to riders. Can you see him from below me?" Ben floated higher to allow her to check.

"He's definitely hidden that way," she observed. She then followed his example and hid herself. "Okay, so we can hide ourselves in plain sight, but we're not entirely see-through."

"Works for me," Pichu said with a shrug. They continued to make their way through the cavern, using their invisibility to sneak past any Pinchers that patrolled it. Every time they passed one of them, Pichu discharged a small amount of electricity to disorient their capture devices. Eventually, their progress was halted by an electrified electronic gate. Since there were no Pinchers around to see them, they ceased being invisible.

"It's nice to not have to battle any Pinchers for a change. What do we do here, Ben?" Summer wondered. The latios pointed his styler at the gate, analyzing it.

"We'll have to overload it somehow," he explained, "but we don't have the power needed."

"I can't even crack it," Pichu added.

"Perhaps we can be of assistance, great ones." They turned to see an electivire and a luxray walking to them. "My parents told me stories about your adventures a long time ago. I never thought I'd get to meet the ones who saved Oblivia in the past."

The luxray spoke. "We would be honored to assist such legendary heroes as yourselves." He bowed towards them.

"Huh? I-I think you might have us mistaken for someone else," Ben said. "I'm not sure we really are the pokémon heroes you know..."

"I'm almost certain you're them," Electivire stated, confused. He then looked at Pichu. "What is that odd thing on your back?"

"It's a long story," Summer replied, "and you probably wouldn't believe us if we told you."

"Try me," Luxray declared confidently. "We'll open the gate for you in return."

"Luxray, are you crazy?" Electivire asked worriedly. "You can't just-"

"No worries, Electivire," Summer said. "This should be good practice for when we tell the others."

"Others?"

"Summer and I were once humans," Ben explained, ignoring Electivire's comment. Pichu pulled out his ukulele and played a few suppressed notes as Ben continued, the duo listening intently. "The odd gear you see on us is our little reminder of that. When we were reconstructing the sign of the Eon duo, we had unusual visions about them and a voice telling us to 'reclaim our lives', and when we went to Tilikule Island to get their help, we ended up becoming them instead." The two electric-type pokémon stared at them in mild shock as they processed the information.

"There is a voice," Summer added, "that gave us a short talk about our new forms last night."

"So... you're _not_ the Latias and Latios that saved Oblivia a long time ago?" Electivire questioned.

"None of us are sure yet, but that's not important. Right now, we have to get to the top of this mountain, but this fence is in the way."

"...To be honest, I'm a little disappointed," Luxray said. "I thought we were finally meeting the ones from long ago, and it turns out you only look like them."

"Look, are you gonna help us or not?" Pichu asked impatiently, catching Luxray off guard. "We're here to stop those loathsome humans at the top of this mountain from waking up Zapdos and causing a disaster."

"...Pichu's right. They did tell us about themselves, like you asked. It's only fair we let them proceed," Electivire admitted. He nodded and grabbed the fence, draining the electricity from it. "If nothing else, this is good fuel for my Motor Drive ability."

"All right, but only because they look a lot like them," Luxray conceded, looking at them. He launched himself at the gate and opened his mouth. As his jaws closed on the wires, flames shot out of his mouth, allowing him to tear the gate apart.

"Thanks very much, you two," Summer said. She smiled at them. "I'm sorry we're not who you think we are, but we have a mission, and we sincerely thank you for letting us continue it." Ben and Pichu nodded in agreement.

"I-it was nothing," Electivire stammered bashfully. "Gosh, she's cute," he muttered.

"Yeah, n-n-nothing to it," Luxray added, just as bashful as his friend was. A small flame appeared in his mouth and he winced, having temporarily lost control of his Fire Fang. A light blush adorned their faces as they looked away from the dragons flying out of the cave.

"That pichu is awfully lucky," they said.


	5. Conflict at the Top

Before long, the three of them approached another blockade. It looked similar to the same doors they encountered on Sorbet Mountain and at Faldera Volcano that led to Articuno and Moltres, respectively.

"It looks like this is the last door before Zapdos," Pichu observed. "Those Pinchers will be waiting for us, and Purple Eyes is likely there as well." He hopped off Ben and looked at the door. "Let me guess... Since Entei and Suicune's signs were used already, Raikou's sign is probably the key here."

Summer and Ben pointed their stylers at the door and drew Raikou's sign. Once they finished, the door opened up.

"The Pinchers are likely unaware of what has happened. This could allow you to surprise them and thwart their operations," the Voice Navigator suggested.

"That's true, but how do we go in without letting them know?" Ben wondered.

"Hmm... Going in like we are will probably cause a massive panic. We can't have anyone falling off the cliff... Oh! How about this?" Summer flew in front of Ben and Pichu. She closed her eyes as her body glowed in a dim white light. Eventually the light grew prominent enough to obscure the latias's body from the other pokémon.

"Summer, what are you doing?" Ben wondered. He could vaguely make out the change in her form to that of a human's. When the light dimmed, he and Pichu were shocked to see Summer standing before them in her ranger clothes. "S-Summer...? How did you do that?"

"That same voice from our dream spoke to me again on our way here, and when it was done, I figured out how to do this," she explained. "I'm not really touching the ground, though, and I'm not sure if this illusion has a time limit."

"An illusion, huh? What did this... voice... say?" Pichu asked warily, not sure about Summer's unknown assistant.

"Basically, all we have to do is imagine what or who we want to look like, then focus on it. Give it a try, Ben."

"All right." Ben did as suggested and was surprised to find that he looked like he used to again. "I don't feel any different," he remarked disappointingly as he looked himself over, "but I guess it will work."

"What's wrong, Ben?" Pichu asked, hopping off of him. "Why the long face?"

"I guess I just miss being... well, myself. I can't help it, it's just..." he trailed off.

"I get it," Summer said. "You just don't feel right, right? It's been several hours since this happened, and it's a really big deal. This is probably just the tip of the iceberg." She grabbed Ben's right hand and looked at him. "When this is over, we'll look for a way to be human again, I promise. Right now, we have a very important mission, Ben, and we can't afford to let this stand in our way."

"...You're right," he responded after a moment of silence. "I'm just worried about the future, that's all. I'll save my questions for now." He took a deep breath and went through the entrance to the mountain peak, with Summer and Pichu soon following.

* * *

><p>They hid behind a rock and observed Purple Eyes and his Steelhead henchmen standing before a sleeping Zapdos, who was protected by a miniature version of the storm. One of them was using the magic of their armor to weaken the shielding around it considerably.<p>

"Any moment now," the Steelhead said as he worked, "and Zapdos should awaken and join Moltres and Articuno in the sky." Both rangers picked up on the minion's low complaint about the armor becoming more difficult to wear and sighed in worry.

"Finally... the moment I've been waiting for has come. The fear that will grip Oblivia will be boundless!" Purple Eyes exclaimed. Ben and Summer nodded to each other, deciding now was the perfect time to appear.

"Halt!" the two rangers shouted as they entered the scene.

"Well, this is a surprise. You actually got through those horrid thunderclouds," Purple Eyes commended as he faced them. Despite his surprise, he remained calm. "Your voices sound oddly higher in pitch than I remember, but no matter."

"Stop this right now!" Summer ordered. "You're making a huge mistake."

The purple-clad man frowned and snapped his fingers. "We'll see about that. Get rid of them!" Two of the three Steelhead stepped forward and blocked the rangers' view of Purple Eyes. He turned to face Zapdos. "Once Zapdos wakes up and takes flight, it will rise just as it did before." The armored Pinchers put their hands together and focused, summoning two magneton and a magnezone to them. Ben and Summer activated their Stylers and closed their eyes. Before long, all three pokémon were held by light purple light that completely stopped them.

"What in the world?!" the Steelhead cried in alarm and frustration. "Work, armor! This isn't supposed to happen!" Pichu smirked and played his ukulele while the rangers performed the capture. The mind-controlled pokémon left just as fast as they came, and the rangers opened their eyes. The Steelhead backed away from them, unable to comprehend what just happened. Moments later, the third Steelhead brushed past them and shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You call yourselves elite? I'll show you." With the same gesture as the others, he summoned two luxray to the field. The rangers recognized one of them as the same luxray they met earlier. Ben frowned as he figured the poor pokémon was ambushed by the Pinchers.

The Steelhead was quickly met with the same disappointment and frustration as the others. Not only did Ben, Summer, and Pichu free the luxray, one of them even ran to the rangers' side. "Unreal..." he murmured, a tone of horror in his voice. "These are not ordinary rangers..." He backed off, exposing their leader once more. Said leader turned around in agitation.

"Ugh, getting rid of two kids should not be a problem!" Purple Eyes said, annoyed. "You three are useless!"

"I guess it never occurred to him that he isn't dealing with ordinary kids," Pichu said. The others chuckled, fully aware of the truth. Purple Eyes was too caught up in his anger to notice their laughter and stepped forward.

"I suppose I will have to deal with you myself," he stated as he dusted himself. "As the best the Pinchers has to offer, I will defeat you. You two will be long gone when it rises." After he posed, a metagross dropped onto the battlefield, having been delivered via airdrop. There was a visibly blank look in its eyes, indicating it was not its usual self. Both rangers and their partners tensed as he whipped out his Capture Gauntlet and pointed at them. "Good-bye, rangers."

"We probably shouldn't try too many techniques on Metagross. We still need to get the hang of them," the disguised latios muttered. "Neither of us have a fire-type attack we can use to lower its defenses. What should we do, Summer?"

"We'll just have to be extra careful, Ben," Summer replied. At that point, Luxray stepped forward. Pichu was on his back.

"I know you're actually Latias and Latios because Pichu is with you. I'd like to help you again, if you wouldn't mind," he offered confidently. "How do the humans say it? You scratched my back, so now it's time I scratched yours."

"We'll accept any help, Luxray," Ben said, "but what can you do?"

"Just cover me," he explained. "I'll do the rest." Ben and Summer nodded to each other and readied their Stylers. Ben ran to one side while Summer remained still. He launched his capture disc at the pokémon, managing to create eleven loops before the pokémon attacked and broke his line. He just barely managed to avoid the beam of energy headed his way.

"I wonder..." Summer closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She pointed her Styler at Luxray and Pichu and looped a glowing capture disc around them once. The two pokémon gained a pink glow. She smiled in satisfaction. "Now's your chance! Go!" she ordered. Luxray lunged at Metagross, fiery fangs bared, and bit down on one of the legs, burning it badly. The controlled Metagross roared in pain before it retaliated with a Hyper Beam. Pichu then jumped onto Metagross's head as Luxray braced himself for the impact. To his surprise, he saw that the attack had stopped before it could hit him.

"Huh? What's going on?" he wondered. He received even more of a surprise when the beam disintegrated before him. The Gleam Eyes pokémon was about to question it when he remembered who he was working with, and his confusion quickly turned into awe. Summer and Ben continued to draw loops around their foe.

"What a surprising development," Purple Eyes snarled, fumbling with his gauntlet, "but that won't stop me. Metagross, spam Hyper Beam!" Metagross gathered a lot of power in its mouth, then shot miniature beams indiscriminately to meet its master's demand. Everyone was forced to seek whatever cover was available. Summer was knocked away by one of the beams, but Luxray caught her before she could go off the cliff.

"Now!" Ben shouted. Pichu stood up and played his ukulele. His paws deftly controlled the strings, and a harmonious melody soon appeared. He built up electricity as he played faster and faster. Once the music was as fast as possible, he let loose a powerful Thunder Shock attack. Thanks to the power of the storm, it was able to disorient the metagross enough to stop its Hyper Beam barrage. As soon as he jumped off, a stray lightning bolt struck Metagross, weakening it further for the two rangers to finish the capture and send it away. At that point, Purple Eyes's gauntlet broke from the overload and fell to the rocky floor. Horrified and outraged, he backed away and fell to his knees as the rangers and their pokémon cheered.

"That... that's impossible..." he grunted. He looked at the still-sleeping Zapdos in anguish. "This world... I nearly had it... It was almost mine!" He became angry as he faced the thunder bird and its miniature storm. "Why won't you wake up?! There's no barrier, and we even made a lot of noise!"

"Zapdos must be a heavy sleeper," Pichu mused. "Now we just need to-"

"This is embarrassing, Purple Eyes." Everyone looked around for the source of the interrupting voice. Suddenly, a large vehicle descended upon the scene. In it sat one figure who remained unseen to everyone except Purple Eyes, who appeared shocked to see the person. "I had a lot of faith in you, but no more. This world was never meant to be yours. Remember your place as a pawn in our plan." The pokémon, save Luxray, could not help but feel they heard that person's voice before, though at the moment nothing came to mind.

"But-"

"My sources tell me your knowledge was not what got us this far. Rather, it was Professor Leanne who guided us. To make things worse," the figure continued, "you couldn't even use the treasure we provided well enough. This is the last straw for you. You are no longer what our society needs."

"What?!" he cried out, outraged by this turn of events. The vehicle hovered over Zapdos and deployed a large control device. Neither ranger was sure they could do anything to the armored vehicle the person drove.

"I'll take it from here." The figure pressed a button, causing the machine to shoot a ray at the sleeping Zapdos. "Zapdos! Heed my command! Awaken, and give us the power we seek!" A large pink aura surrounded Zapdos, and eventually, to the rangers' dismay, it awakened. With a mighty cry, electricity erupted all around it, and it took flight.

"No! Zapdos!" Summer cried futilely. She would have tried to get close were it not for Ben and the others holding her back. The vehicle then hovered near the disguised Eon pokémon.

"Well, it took more time than I expected," the mysterious person mused, "but eventually those young Pinchers' efforts made a difference. It worked, so no complaints here."

"Who are you?" Summer asked. "What are you planning?"

"Come down here and show yourself," Ben added. Both of them glared at the vehicle as the rider chuckled.

"Ben, Summer... you'll know in due time. Farewell for now." Before they could ask how the figure knew their names, the vehicle sped off.

"I've got a bad feeling about that man," Ben said. Suddenly both of their Stylers vibrated, prompting them to check them.

"Residual energy has been traced to the vehicle. Vehicle signal has been identified," the voice navigator announced.

"It looks like we have a lock on that guy's signal. We should chase after him once we're done here," Summer suggested.

"What about Purple Eyes and the Steelhead?" Pichu asked.

"Don't worry. Their gauntlets have been overloaded, so they won't be controlling any more pokémon," Ben assured. "We should go back down to keep our promise first." To the utter astonishment of the Steelhead and Purple Eyes, Ben and Summer shed their disguises and flew back to the base of the mountain with the other pokémon in tow.


	6. Pursuit, Destruction, and Resolution

"It feels good to be back to normal," Summer said. "Well, more or less. How about you, Ben?"

"How could you get used to this so quickly, Summer?" Ben asked, slightly annoyed by her adaptability. "I'm still having trouble adjusting. I still haven't fully gotten used to the fact that I'm a pokémon now. Not that there's anything wrong with pokémon," he added as an afterthought.

"That's understandable," she replied. "Truth be told," she added, "I've actually been avoiding worrying about how my life would work from now on. I've only thought about what we're now able to do, and I figured everyone wouldn't be too surprised by this."

"Ben, is it?" Luxray interrupted, not quite used to calling them by name.

"What is it?"

"From the sound of things, you worry too much. Summer, you worry too little. You compliment each other well," he said slyly. "I'm surprised my parents never told me about you two being mates."

"W-wha...? We're not- I mean I've never-"

"You two do go well together, now that I think about it," Pichu interrupted them teasingly. Both of the legendary dragons looked at each other and found themselves unable to deny that fact. Over the course of this mission, they were often working together, to the point where neither of them felt right in the rare instances they had to go without each other.

"A-anyways, we still have to get that man out of here," Ben stammered, looking away from her uncertainly. "We can drop him off at Sophian Island. The port there should help him get home."

"Yeah, but first..." The latias floated over to Luxray, who blushed as she got close. "Thank you so much for helping us back there."

"N-no problem, Lati- I mean, Summer, Ben." Now it was his turn to feel embarrassed. "Really. Anything for a friend to Oblivia."

"I still don't know if we've become the original pokémon you know from your parents and friends. All the same, you've been extremely helpful."

"What..." His words were frozen as she leaned in and kissed him lightly on his nose. The moment she backed away, he collapsed in a heap. A bright red blush shone through the blue fur on his face and he wore a pleased and dazed expression.

"That might have been a little too much, don't you think?" Ben asked her.

"I honestly don't know what came over me," she replied. "I just wanted to say thanks in a more expressive way, I guess."

"Hmm... I'm getting worried. I think this transformation might be doing a little more harm than good." Pichu pulled out his ukulele and played a short, soft melody, sensing the tension that was building between them.

"Come on, guys, now's not the time," he said as he played his usual tune. He felt a little intimidated when both dragons stared at him, despite being used to playing for an audience, but relaxed as their gazes softened with his music. By the time he finished playing, he felt they were a little calmer than before, and he sighed in relief. "Look, maybe we should settle this before we go on... keep this from being an issue later on," he suggested worriedly.

"...Pichu, you're right. I'm sorry, everyone," the latios apologized, looking down. His ears flattened slightly. "I'm just at a loss over what will happen when we eventually meet with everyone else."

"It's okay, Ben," she replied comfortingly as she hugged him, to his surprise. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah!" Pichu cheered. "We're here for you." Ben found himself leaning into her hug as he returned it, though he did not ponder why he did so. It made him feel better, especially since he could feel her leaning on him as well.

"Thanks, Summer. You too, Pichu," he said once they broke the embrace. Pichu couldn't help but notice the small reluctance both dragons showed to ending it and, as he climbed on Summer's back this time, he wondered if Luxray was right. "Anyway, we should go get that man out of here first." As soon as they flew by the entrance to the cavern, they found the ex-Pincher holding a thunder stone. A few pokémon watched him curiously, but he looked the same as before. Ben flew to him and hovered down, motioning to him to get on.

"I told you we would return as soon as we finished," Summer said as the man climbed on Ben's back. Once he was as secure as possible, they quickly took him to Sophian Island.

"I'm really, incredibly sorry for all I put you through," the ex-Pincher apologized tearfully, hugging Ben's neck. "I was just really desperate for work, that's all."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Summer mused. "You and the others were just chasing an illusion, after all."

"But what about those rangers? Weren't they chasing an illusion, too?" he asked. Pichu quietly snickered to himself at the man's inability to make the connection. He briefly looked at the pokémon in confusion before speaking again. "Thank you two for showing mercy on me. I promise I won't be so desperate ever again." Once they neared the island, they flew low and dropped him off in the forest just outside of town.

"We don't want to cause a commotion," Ben explained. "Best of luck to you, ex-Pincher."

"My name is Todd, and thanks again." As they took to the skies again, Todd could not shake the feeling that the Eon pokémon bore a resemblance to people he knew. "Maybe I'm just hallucinating again..."

* * *

><p>"Readings indicate that the vehicle's signal has stopped," Ben's Styler said. "Its location is... the Oblivia Ruins."<p>

"Good. We should be able to see if there's anything we can do about the legendary birds," the latios suggested. As soon as they landed, they saw a pink-haired elderly woman and two Steelhead disappear into the ruins.

"What's Kasa doing here?" Summer wondered. "And what are those two doing with her?" She immediately thought to put on her human disguise but found herself unable to change. "What's going on? Why can't I change?"

"I can't do it too," Ben said. "Why?"

"Maybe you haven't mastered your new powers yet," Pichu suggested worriedly, jumping off of the latias's back. "Is there anything else you can do? What else did that voice tell you?" Both Eon pokémon closed their eyes and focused more intently on taking on their disguises. Eventually, a few seconds later, they succeeded. "Well, what do you know? You should practice how to do that so it doesn't happen again." Ben and Summer nodded and rushed in.

"Kasa!" they cried. She and her escorts turned to face them. Kasa smiled.

"Oh, rangers! Won't you save me from them?" she pleaded. There was something about her tone that caused their panic to be replaced by confusion. It did not help that the Steelhead were just as confused as they were. However, before they could process it, the two Steelhead summoned a torterra and sceptile against them. Kasa disappeared as the rangers captured the two pokémon.

"Something about her voice is really throwing me off," Summer said after the Steelhead ran off.

"I felt it too. She was too calm, if that's even possible. Even so, we need to find her."

"I think she went in here." Pichu ran into the back room, followed by the disguised Eon pokémon, and eventually entered the mural room. Amidst all the murals, however, lied a new room they had not seen before. Curious, they entered it. To their surprise, they stumbled onto what looked to be a tea party being held by Arley, Hocus, and Kasa. Six Steelhead lurked among them.

"What are you all doing here?" Ben asked them.

"Well," Arley responded in a low, strained voice, "we're having a tea party."

"It's a special one," Kasa added, barely able to keep her amusement concealed.

"Well, rangers, would you like some tea?" Hocus offered. He seemed to be the only normal one of the three. "It might be just the thing your voices need."

"It's dangerous to be here," Summer said. "These Steelhead mean trouble."

"Don't worry about them," the burly man replied. "They're working for us for the time being." The Steelhead surrounded the rangers, blocking them from the others.

"Hold on. What's all this then?" Everyone turned to see Edward enter the room from a previously unseen northern entrance and take a seat. He then noticed the rangers. "Hello Summer, Ben. And you too, Pichu. Did someone invite you here?"

"No, actually. We're on a mission," Ben explained.

"Hmm... You two are always busy," Arley noted. "I must say, that is quite commendable for such young people."

"You should take a rest more often," Kasa said. "Right, Hocus?"

"That's right," Hocus agreed. "Today I went to the trouble of creating a most spectacular trick. Now that we have guests, it'll be extra fun. How about it, Arley?" Arley appeared uncomfortable by the situation.

"Ugh... I hate acting. Can't we stop now, Ed?"

"Acting?" Summer and Ben looked at each other in confusion, then looked back at the elders. Edward laughed.

"Arley, you sure haven't changed after all these years. Very well." He stood up. "You're right. We don't need this act anymore, especially since our plan is nearly complete."

"...Edward?" Ben asked nervously. This certainly wasn't the Edward neither rangers or Pichu was familiar with.

"Rangers... I hate to admit it, your running around actually forced me to take action myself. I can't afford to do that very much these days. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I am the one who woke Zapdos." Their eyes widened in realization; the man behind the flying machine was none other than Edward himself!

"You're the leaders of the Pinchers?!"

"No..." Hocus said smugly. "We are The Societea! We used our money we gathered over the years to support the Pokémon Pinchers and get close to our dream. We planned everything."

"Barring your appearance and Purple Eyes's treason, everything went smoothly," Arley added.

"Despite all that, that was just the beginning," Kasa said.

"Do you remember what that scoundrel Purple Eyes said?" Edward asked them. "He said the world was almost his. That line is more appropriate for me to say. Now then, allow us to introduce ourselves once more."

"I," Kasa stated, "am an accomplished master of disguise. Only I know how I really look."

"I," Hocus began, "am the miraculous magician. Not a soul has been able to understand my technique."

"I," Arley emphasized, "was a fearsome wrestler, and I'm as fierce as ever thanks to my training!"

"Lastly," Edward said, throwing off his doctor's coat and revealing a darker coat underneath, "I am the leader. I masquerade as an accomplished doctor. People knew me as Ed 'The Thinker', and I could steal anything. As a team that was established over forty years ago, we worked all over the world. Our synergy was perfect, and with our combined skills, the world was ours.

"Even so," the doctor lamented, "old age defeated us, and we disbanded... but I knew it was not the end. The simple life I led afterwards was peaceful, boring, and dull. I had to recall my youth by any means, and when I heard from one of my patients about the Immortal Ruler and his Golden Armor, I jumped at the chance. I got the gang together and gathered information from every part of Oblivia." All of them pulled out pieces of the armor, with Kasa and Hocus wearing the gauntlets, Arley wearing the chestplate, and Edward wearing the pauldrons.

"Now that we have this armor, old age can no longer keep us down," Arley explained. "Dying is now impossible for us."

"We have the armor, and with that, we now have the power to bring the world to its knees." Suddenly, the room shook, and the rangers' disguises flickered for half a second. "Rangers, you've been a thorn in our sides for quite some time, but we'll let you live out of admiration for your fine display of youth." With that, he and his party left the rangers and Pichu there and disappeared into the northern room before barring access to it.

"We better get out of here before the place collapses!" Ben advised. Seeing no one was around, they shed their disguises and flew out of the southern entrance.

"The lake! Something's coming out!" Pichu shouted. They immediately turned to the lake and saw a large structure with cannons on several sides slowly rise out of the lake. "What's happening?" he wondered fearfully. Once the thing flew high enough, the large cannon in front of it began charging a huge amount of energy. As soon as the cannon stopped charging, it fired a massive blast of light energy. The trio could only watch as the energy ball hurdled toward... Dolce Island, utterly annihilating the island before their eyes. "My... my home! My friends...! NNNNNOOOOOO!" Completely unable to stand looking at the destruction of his home, the poor pokémon fainted. Neither dragon could do naught but offer comfort to the softly crying pichu, wishing there was something they could have done to prevent this event.

"People of Oblivia!" Edward's voice boomed from what they assumed was the Sky Fortress. "What you have just witnessed is a demonstration of the power of your new rulers! Exit your homes and look at the sky!

"In the past," he continued, "an immortal ruler left behind this armor and this fortress. Now that this power and eternal life belong to The Societea, you all shall submit to us! Our Light of Judgment will destroy any and all who refuse to comply."

"This is just awful..." Summer said sadly as she held and petted him. Both rangers glared at the fortress in shock, confusion, and anger.

"This is unforgivable," Ben muttered angrily. "What would possess them to do such a thing?" The Legendary Birds soon joined the fortress, erecting a black barrier around it. "Summer, we've got to try and break that barrier! We have to take that thing down now!" Without waiting for an answer, he flew up to meet it.

"Ben, wait!" He was already halfway there before she could say anything further. She placed Pichu on the soft grass. "We'll be back, Pichu. I promise we'll get to the bottom of this." The latias kissed him on the forehead then flew up to her counterpart.

"I'm sorry I took off like that, Summer," the latios apologized, "but I'm just so angry right now. This thing caused so much trouble in the past, and now it destroyed a whole island and many of Pichu's close friends with it. The Societea has made a grave mistake."

"Ben, trust me, I feel the same way, but right now we can't get through it. We need a different sort of force to break it," Summer sympathized.

"Still..." Ben gathered power and shot a Luster Purge at the barrier. It had no effect due to the dark power enforcing it, however Summer was surprised by the feat.

"How did you do that? That was incredible!"

"I... have no idea. All of a sudden, it just came naturally to me. It's like what you did at Layuda," he said offhandedly. "Wait a minute, I actually used an attack? And not just any attack, but the signature attack of Latios?"

"You did! That's amazing!" she congratulated as she hugged him. This time he was more than happy to return her hug.

"You know, I don't care about completely turning into a pokémon anymore," Ben stated. "After seeing Dolce Island get destroyed, I realized just how much is at stake here. If we don't do something, and soon, the entire region may be lost."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and if... if I may confess, I'm really glad you're here with me. Did I tell you that I used to have nightmares about you being captured by the Pinchers?"

"Yes, you did. I was worried about you, too, and I hoped you would be okay without me. Even if it turns out we can never be human again, at least I'll be with the one who saved me," she confessed as they parted. "A-anyways, maybe we should regroup at Rand's house. Everyone is sure to want an update on everything that happened, and Leanne might know something." Once she grabbed Pichu, they headed to Renbow Island.

* * *

><p>"It's been a while since we last saw everyone," Summer mused as they flew through the sky, taking it slow for Pichu's sake. By now, Pichu had fallen asleep in her claws. The latias took this as an opportunity to practice using her psychic abilities and was pleased to discover the Heal Pulse technique. Her friend was resting much more easily thanks to her efforts. "Maybe we should use our disguises again so everyone won't freak out."<p>

"Right. An encounter with a legendary pokémon is not an everyday occurrence," the latios agreed." They landed just outside of the house and changed into their disguises. "I'm a little nervous as to how to break it to them."

Summer put a hand on his left shoulder. "Don't worry, Ben. Whatever happens, I'm here for you. We've always been there for each other." She let him go as they walked in. Rand, Nema, and Leanne stood by the round table.

"This is just awful," Nema said. "What do we do?"

"As you may have already seen," Rand began sadly, noticing Pichu was trembling in his sleep, "we have a problem."

"Zapdos was awakened," Ben reported, "even though we stopped Purple Eyes. This will probably be a huge shock to you, but the person who woke it up was Doctor Edward." Everyone's eyes widened at this.

"He calls himself Ed 'the Thinker'," Summer added. Rand and Leanne frowned.

"As much as I can't believe it, there's too much irrefutable evidence. Everyone heard his voice. To think that such a nice man was behind everything happening in Oblivia..." the older ranger trailed off. "He was after the Golden Armor and the Sky Fortress the whole time."

"It was thanks to Purple Eyes's small experience in archaeology," Leanne added, still shaken from her ordeal, "that he was able to acquire them."

"Leanne, that man would have eventually figured out the last bit of information he needed, even if it would have taken a long time." He walked up to his wife and hugged her reassuringly. "Don't feel so bad about it. With your help, we just might be able to save Oblivia." He then turned to the rangers. "Were you able to examine the barrier?" They visibly tensed at his question, though Rand did not appear to notice it. Leanne smiled.

"It's certainly... sturdy," Ben hastily said.

"Yeah," Summer added, calming down quickly. "Neither Latias nor Latios could get past it."

"So both are here after all..." the professor muttered. "Come with me upstairs. I have some information that just might help you two. You can also fill us in on what happened at Tilikule Island." Both rangers inwardly sighed as everyone followed her. They intended to tell the truth once everything had been settled, but would have to settle for the present time.


	7. Good News

"I finally pieced together the information from that last mural," Leanne announced once everyone settled around the table. Several pages lay scattered about, most of them riddled with facts about the Oblivia region. Leanne grabbed the one page that was next to the pictures of the murals. "According to legend, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno were essential in protecting the Golden Armor, and thus the person who wore it."

"Are they evil, mom?" Nema asked. Leanne shook her head.

"They're being used by evil people, but they themselves aren't evil." She pointed outside to the floating building. "Their power keeps the Sky Fortress's exterior defenses active and gives it the means to move. Check out this image." The image she presented depicted what appeared to be a rainbow shooting out of an upright cup. Below the cup was a stone surface featuring a pair of wings surrounded by spheres of various colors of the rainbow. To the left was the Sky Fortress, surrounded by purple lines. The rainbow was shown piercing the lines.

"Hold on... that's the grail from the Rainbow Festival!" Summer cried.

"Indeed. The ancient script says that the hero or heroes of Oblivia brought an item called the Rainbow Grail to a location known as the Rainbow Dais. The rainbow that appeared guided the legendary birds from the dark hold the armor had on them," Leanne finished.

"Just like in the festival..." Ben noted. Nema and Rand nodded.

"In today's Oblivia we only remember holding up the Rainbow Grail on its corresponding platform," Leanne added. "I'm not sure why that is, but it looks like Cocona Village is your next stop."

"The murals held all the answers the whole time... Leanne, you may have just saved everyone. Thank you very much," Rand said. Leanne blushed and smiled at her husband.

"All right, Ben. Let's get to Booker's house and try it out," Summer said. Before she and Ben could leave, however, Nema urged them to wait.

"Hold on... you still need to tell us about Tilikule Island," she stated. "Did everything work like Mom said it would?" Both rangers returned to their previous spots and sighed. They looked at each other and nodded.

"This might be a bit difficult to explain," Ben said, "so we'll show you instead." A flash much like that from a camera shot from their bodies, dazing everyone momentarily. At the same time, they shed their disguises, taking on the form of the Eon duo once more. Everyone stared at the two floating dragons in shock, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened.

"Mom... Dad...? What... what happened to my friends?" Nema stammered.

Rand was the first to recover. "Well I'll be..." he breathed. "There really was something special about you two. I had the feeling, but I figured it was your skills."

"Well, it seems like things turned out exactly as I thought they would," the professor announced confidently. "When you two told me about your hallucinations, I just had to dig through all the books I had. As it turns out, after the Great Teakwood Fire happened, neither Latias nor Latios nor the heroes that worked alongside them could be found. I suspected that the odd visions meant you bore a connection to the heroes of legend, but I never thought this is what that connection would lead to."

"I doubt it means we're now the same pokémon that defended Oblivia a long time ago," Ben said, "but we have some of their memories. Supposedly, we lived together in Oblivia a long time ago. When the Evil Ruler put on that Golden Armor and used the Sky Fortress to sink the island in the Eastern Sea, we had to do something quickly."

"According to what the visions told me," Summer continued, "we combined our powers with that of the other legendary pokémon and created two illusionary humans to help two other humans who greatly resembled. You know the rest from there."

"Well... this explains everything." Leanne walked over to them. "Amazing... Being granted a second chance in life is a rare thing. It's even more incredible that you can speak much like humans can."

"I still don't think we're the same pokémon, however I am surprised everyone is taking this really well," Ben noted. Rand nodded.

"I'm glad. Ben can finally stop worrying about how everyone would feel," Summer added cheekily, earning a mock glare from Ben.

"You two are so cute together!" Nema cried in delight. They flew over to her and nudged her, encouraging her to pet them. "You feel so soft!" Her parents smiled at the sight of their daughter being nuzzled by the former humans. "I can't help but feel safe around you two." Eventually they separated, and Rand took this opportunity to ask an important question.

"Do the Pinchers know about you two?"

"No," Ben replied, "as far as we know. None of them know. We haven't told anyone else about us yet."

"Good. It would be best to keep this between us."

* * *

><p>The path to Cocona Village was filled with pokémon panicking over the return of the Sky Fortress. They seemed to calm down, however, when they saw the two rangers walk past them, as if they instantly recognized who they were to the human onlookers' confusion. It was not long before they arrived near Booker's house.<p>

"HEY!" Both rangers looked up to see Summer's staraptor glide to them. Pichu shook from the shrill cry, but remained asleep. "Long time no see, you guys!"

"Staraptor! How have you been? It's good to see you again," Summer replied, smiling at her avian friend.

"I've been well, and I have a surprise for Ben!" she announced. "You can come out now!" As soon as she said that, another staraptor flew from a hidden perch in the trees. Ben's eyes widened upon seeing the other staraptor.

"I... I almost don't believe... Staraptor, you survived too?" Ben wondered. "This is great! I'm glad to see you alive and well, old friend. I was worried you had... well..."

"He's a lot more brawny than he looks, that's for sure. Unfortunately, that attack he endured... it killed his voice," Staraptor explained sadly. The male staraptor rubbed against her, encouraging her not to worry about him. She smiled, changing her tone. "We met when I flew to Dolce Island to warn everyone about the attack. He and a few other humans helped me move all the pokémon over here. See for yourself." Pichu stirred upon hearing this.

"Re-really? Everyone's... a-alive?" Pichu asked. He jumped down onto the sandy ground and saw all of the other pichu around Booker's house and nearly cried again, this time out of happiness. "I-I-I don't know what to say," he said, voice shaky, "except... thank you so, so much for rescuing them. I'm just so relieved everyone's okay."

"See, I told you your time would come," Summer said. "We're all proud of both of you." She put Pichu on the ground and hugged her staraptor, who beamed with pride in response. Both rangers were significantly calmer than before, remembering they had allies everywhere thanks to their efforts, but they were still aware of their mission, knowing that the same thing could very well happen to Renbow Island if they did not hurry.

Just as Staraptor said, all of Pichu's pokémon friends were alive and well. Booker greeted the rangers as they entered his home.

"I'm just glad those staraptor gave everyone the heads up," Booker said. "We might not be able to get the island back, but a home is more replaceable than a life."

"Hey Booker, we'll need to borrow the Rainbow Grail for a moment," Ben requested.

"Huh? What do ya need it fer? A drink?"

"I need to borrow it to protect Oblivia," Ben quickly explained. Confused, Booker fetched the item for him.

"Don't know what this is about, but go ahead." Booker handed the grail to him and watched him sprint to the platform in Cocona Village.

"Summer, your partner seems quite eager about something," Nick said. "I hope he doesn't trip and drop the Rainbow Grail. If it breaks, we'd..."

"Not now, Nick. That annoying thinkin' of yours won't help at all. If that happens, I reckon we'll just make a new one."

Summer was confused. "Wait, you mean the one Ben has is just a replica?" Booker nodded. "Well, you see, we need the Rainbow Grail to take down that barrier around the Sky Fortress. According to legend, that artifact is the key to stopping the Pinchers' plans once and for all."

"Ah, so that's it. We better go tell your friend before he makes too much of a scene." They hurriedly left the house and entered the village. Ben was standing atop the wooden platform, constantly raising and lowering the grail in frustration as the rest of the villagers stared in confusion. Summer and Pichu couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.

"Ben, that grail is made from paiper-maché. It's just a fake of the real thing," Booker called out. The ranger stared at the grail and facepalmed before stepping down and returning it.

"That would explain why nothing was happening... but if this is fake, where's the real one?"

"It's actually in Rasp Cavern. I've got the key to the door."

* * *

><p>The group swiftly walked through Rasp Cavern before arriving at a locked door. "You remember the trial you took to get the fake Rainbow Grail, right?" Booker asked them.<p>

"Yes," both rangers replied. They entered the room where all the tiles were lit. Walking past the tiles, they stopped in front of a door with the same image as the platform in Cocona Village.

"Well, the real trial is just past this door. It's been years since I last opened it." Booker pulled out a panel and slid it into a slot, causing the door to split in half. He sighed as the parts of the door moved aside, revealing another room. "As far as I know, neither I nor anyone else in the village were ever able to get far enough, so I had Nick build a replica of the grail while I built that platform. Stay calm, and keep your wits about ya. You can beat the Hero's Trial." With that, Booker left for the village, giving the Eon pokémon the opportunity to shed their disguises.

"Try using your powers if things get too dicey. Are you guys ready?" Pichu asked them.

"Yeah," Ben said as Summer nodded. "How are you feeling, buddy?"

"Much better knowing I didn't lose anyone to that thing," he replied, relieved. "I'm so glad I have friends like you. Was someone doing something to me?"

"Well, I figured out how to use Heal Pulse," Summer answered as Pichu jumped onto Ben's back. "I just wanted to do something to stop you from feeling so horrible, and it just came to me." He nodded in thanks as they entered the chamber. Inside lied a small arena. A panel of faded text appeared on the floor, and next to it was an even smaller panel.

"That guy Amun wrote a translation here," Ben observed. "It says that the hero must show no fear when it comes to peace. What does that mean?" The rangers tensed upon hearing the doors behind and in front of them rise. "Uh-oh." Three charmeleon dropped down from the ceiling, all of them appearing too agitated to be reasoned with and out of range of their Stylers.

"Get ready, everyone!" Ben shouted. All three charmeleon constantly shot powerful Ember attacks at the trio, who managed to dodge them with little effort. Thirty seconds later, three jolteon joined the charmeleon, also appearing too agitated to reason with.

"Look out, guys!" Pichu shot a few Thunder Shock attacks of his own to repulse some of the barrage of fire and electricity. The dragons were actually hit by some of the attacks, but thanks to their Stylers' energy, they were not too badly damaged. A few seconds later, three snover were summoned to the field.

"Oh great, ice," both Eon pokémon groaned. Fortunately, the elemental assault came to a close twenty seconds later, and everyone sighed in relief. The attacking pokémon disappeared as both doors lowered, allowing entry into the next room. Everyone took the moment to examine themselves.

"I'm not bruised anywhere, but my Styler's energy is getting low," Summer observed. "It's been a while since we last visited a recharge station. I hope we can find a way to recharge it soon."

"Hang in there, Summer," Ben reassured. "If anything happens, I'll be there to back you up." Pichu nodded as she blushed slightly at his comment. Within the next room they found another panel on the ground with another explanation near it. "It says peace takes a series of steps to reach. I guess this room needs us to move quickly and intently." Once he finished, the room's trap activated, and spikes shot out of the floors ahead of them at intervals.

"Maybe not. We could just fly over these floors," Summer suggested with a shrug. "It would be faster and safer."

"Agreed." Pichu smirked at the spiked floors as they flew over them, reaching the other side quickly and prompting the next door to open. This next room featured a much larger version of the trial used for the Rainbow Festival.

"This panel says peace cannot be acquired with power," Summer read. "We'll need to make the right moves to get through this trial. It's just like the trial for the Rainbow Festival, and apparently Amun has been here too."

"Allow me," Pichu offered as he jumped off Ben's back. He stepped on one circle and quickly trailed a path to the other circle, being sure to stand on all the tiles only once. After solving the puzzle, the next door opened. This time, it revealed a room full of panels pointing in different directions.

"Amun made it here too," Ben commented upon seeing another explanation to the panel in front of them. "'Peace is something spread by a proper flow. Show the presence of mind to determine the proper flow.' It looks like those floors will take us wherever they point."

"Ben, should we just fly over the floor again? We'll need to act quickly before that fortress launches another attack," Summer advised. Just as before, the trio flew ahead, avoiding the pillars as they did so. Their flying caught the attention of the ledian, ampharos, and primeape in the room.

"Wait!" Ledian called out to them just as they landed near the door. He grabbed Ampharos and flew over to them. "I've never seen anyone other than myself do that before, not even that human fellow from several years ago." Primeape quickly climbed one of the blocks and made his way to them in one jump.

"Hey, that's not fair! I'm calling shenanigans!" Primeape angrily shouted. "You cheated!" Summer smirked.

"Well we did," she admitted. Her smirk disappeared as she grew serious. "However, we don't have the time to discuss this now."

"You felt the earthquake, right?" Ben asked them.

"Yeah, but what's that got to do with your cheating?" Primeape wondered.

"Just what business do you have here?" Ampharos asked them, feeling anxious. Summer glanced at Ben, who seemed to be plotting something.

"Hmm... Take a close look. We might be wearing some unusual items, but our appearance hasn't changed once bit. Who are we?" he asked them. The trio studied the Eon pokémon for a few moments before stepping back in shock.

"Whoa... i-it's really them..."

"It sounds like Absol was right after all," Primeape said. "I owe that guy a huge apology." He punched himself on the nose, then sighed as he calmed down.

"What was Absol right about?" Summer asked them what Primeape was talking about.

"Absol appeared some time after the last human here disappeared," Ampharos explained. "He said that you two would reappear when Oblivia was in danger again, but I never thought you would have all this human stuff on you, especially that scarf."

"Pichu, you're so lucky you get to travel with THE Latias and Latios," Ledian gushed. "I'm pretty jealous." Pichu smiled.

"We were rangers before we regained our memories," Summer stated, playing along, "and we don't want to abandon our position. Anyways, we must get the Rainbow Grail."

"Can we help? It looks like those things on your arms need some power." Ampharos touched their Stylers and fed electricity into them until their energy lights turned green. "That's a good sign, right?" The Eon pokémon nodded their thanks as they and Pichu entered the final room.

"It looks like Amun wasn't able to make it to this room," Pichu noted. "There's no panel anywhere explaining this one." A loud cry rang through the air as an absol dropped down into the room from an unseen ledge.

"The time has come."


	8. The Rainbow

"...Amun?" Ben posited curiously. The absol that entered the room had silvery fur in various patches among its body. He gazed at the company through dull, weary red eyes and lied down, previous anxiety dashed. A small smile crossed his face.

"That is indeed my name," the absol replied confidently. "I have never told it to anyone else. I would ask how you know my name, but you two are the ones I foresaw in my vision."

"How? What happened to you?" Summer asked. "Did you...?"

"No, no. I did not pass on," he interrupted. "I merely had my life extended."

"So this is what happened to that human," Ledian muttered as he entered the room, bringing Ampharos and Primeape with him. "How did this happen, old man?" So many things seemed to be happening at once for the trio. A pokémon of human origin was truly a rare thing to see.

"I can't believe I never managed to piece it together," Ampharos said. "No wonder we never saw him leave this room."

"I always thought that human fell into a pit all those years ago," Primeape added. "I never would have imagined something so insane. Not that you're insane, of course."

"In my vision," Amun continued, "I saw the return of the Sky Fortress, the destruction it wreaked," Pichu shuddered upon hearing that, remembering his pokémon friends' close scrape, "and the return of the heroes of Oblivia. In all the books I uncovered and the places I explored," he mused, "never did I expect such a fantastic turn of events in my life."

"Amun, how did this happen to you?" Ben asked, slightly frustrated that his partner's question was not answered. "Can you please tell us?"

The absol stood up and stretched. "Very well. I shall. However, I am the last trial you must face before the Rainbow Grail can be yours. Show me the bond that guided you so far and I will answer your questions." He jumped back as Ledian, Ampharos, and Primeape backed away to watch. "Have at you!" With one swing of his horn, he launched a series of Razor Wind attacks. In their surprise, both dragon-and-psychic-type pokémon were hit by the small black crescents and knocked back a few feet. They quickly recovered and readied their Stylers.

"Ready, Ben?" Summer asked her counterpart. Ben replied with a silent nod and fired the Capture Disc. Amun was perplexed by the strange object that constantly looped around him and temporarily stopped his assault. The latias fired her own Capture Disc and had it travel in the opposite direction.

"What are these strange things?" he wondered. The absol's eyes began to lose what little radiance they had left as his steps became unstable. "What is this calming feeling surging through my being?" He concentrated and used Double Team to interrupt both lines. He jumped away from the Eon duo and shook himself.

"It looks like he isn't quite used to this," the latios confidently said to his partner. "It seems we have the advantage after all."

"Right. Pichu, hop on my back and do your thing," Summer commanded. Pichu was all too happy to oblige. As he played, the same aura that protected him and Luxray on Layuda Island surrounded him once more.

"A pichu with a ukulele? ...He's talented, I'll give him that," Amun said as he listened to the Tiny Mouse pokémon playing, "but I won't let that stop me." He pressed his forepaws against the ground and unleashed a Dark Pulse. Ben cried out in surprise as the attack erupted underneath him and sent him crashing into the wall behind him.

"Ben!" Pichu cried, interrupting his playing out of shock.

"I'm fine. Finish the job, Summer!" His Styler buzzed for a moment and undid the damage he took, taking its total energy into the yellow zone, though it could not undo how winded the attack made him. Summer nodded determinedly and charged her Styler just as before.

"Pichu, I'll need you to distract him," she said. Pichu jumped off her back and onto Amun's and fired a Thunder Shock attack. He attempted to buck him off but Pichu held on as tightly as possible. Once Summer's Capture Disc had enough power, she fired it just as Pichu was flung away. Before he could fall into the chasm, Ben reached out and caught him with Psychic, then safely moved his friend into his awaiting paws. The disc looped around the absol ten more times before returning to Summer.

"Capture complete!" Amun's body shuddered as he was forcibly calmed, his will to fight completely gone. Once he stopped shuddering, he lied down, weary from the battle, and smiled.

"Well, that was quite unusual. I see that your coming here was no fluke. It would seem that you two-no, three-have completed all the trials. I am proud to say that you have now claimed the Rainbow Grail as your own," Amun remarked. Everyone cheered in delight as the container holding the item opened. Summer picked it up immediately in glee.

"I was certainly impressed by how quick that battle was," Ampharos said. "You three work really well together, and you barely even used any attacks."

"Looks like I was wrong about strength being everything," Primeape admitted. "I guess you can win without knocking anyone out, not that I'm gonna go for that anytime soon." Ledian agreed with a nod. Ben got up and shook himself.

"Amun, will you tell us what happened to you?" he asked him. Amun nodded.

"Very well. I shall be brief," he responded. "You may have noticed my name placed all over several key points in Oblivia. It is true that I managed to pass every rigorous trial in here except the last one, quite a feat for someone who no longer had the youth to do so adequately. With every trial passed, I left behind notes for individuals who aspired to obtain the Rainbow Grail for the festival. The hardest one was surviving the onslaught of pokémon attacks, but I digress.

"Truth be told, this last trial did not exist until I made it to this room." Everyone gasped at this. "Once I entered this room, I found myself in another dimension, where I was greeted by the Original One. I was told that I had fulfilled my role by recording history and was granted this new, younger form. The Original One left me with one last task: test anyone who came for the treasure you now hold." He stood up and closed his eyes, and within moments a white, glowing panel appeared on the ground in front of him.

"What will you do now, Amun?" Summer asked him. He smiled at the latias.

"Now that my task has been fulfilled, I do not know. I have had no visions of my own future, but I'm sure I can think of something. Perhaps I'll leave to join an aspiring youth on their journey or settle down with someone. Anyways, enough about me. You have a region to save. This panel will warp you outside." Both Eon pokémon and Pichu stepped on the panel and waved goodbye to the other pokémon as they disappeared.

"Good luck..."

* * *

><p>Ben and Summer changed into their disguises before leaving Teakwood Forest and entering Cocona Village.<p>

"There you are!" Leanne called out to them. Accompanying her was Murph, Rand, Nema, and Booker. "Booker filled us in on what was going on. So, did you managed to get the Rainbow Grail?"

"We sure did!" Summer proudly responded, presenting the rainbow-colored grail to the group who looked on in awe. "It wasn't easy, but we did it. It's too bad the Rainbow Dais here won't work."

"I know. I came to tell you that I was unable to find any information about where it could be. The mural depicting it left no clue about its location." Ben stared at his Styler as an image came to him, and he momentarily tuned everyone out.

"After all that work finding the Rainbow Grail..." Rand grumbled. "This sure is frustrating." At this point Ben's staring was noticed by everyone.

"Um, Ben?" Nema wondered. "What's up? Why the blank stare?"

"Is there something on your mind, Ben?" Rand asked him. Ben broke the odd staring contest he was having with his Styler and looked up.

"Actually, I remember seeing something that looked a lot like the dais," the disguised latios responded. "When I fell into the ocean and chased a mantyke that made off with my Styler, I ended up in some underwater ruins. The stone my Styler fell on... definitely had the same image as the stone in the mural."

"...Really?! That's good news!"

"Are you sure you weren't dreamin' or something?" Booker wondered. "Ya did have a long tumble in the sky, after all."

"Maybe what Ben saw shouldn't be dismissed so readily," Leanne chided. "It comes up often in gossip among archaeologists, with it's location garnering the most speculation."

"That's gotta be it!" Murph cried. "I'm positive!"

"Ben," Summer said, "do you remember where you fell?" Ben paused for a moment before sadly shaking his head.

"Well, without any hints, finding it is next to impossible in such a watery region," Rand commented. Booker took one step forward.

"Ben washed up on Dolce Island." Pichu shuddered and clutched his ears for a moment before letting them go. "Sorry, Pichu. The current runs there, but that doesn't help much 'cause it goes everywhere." Suddenly, Nema had an idea.

"Perhaps Ben's Styler remembers where he landed!"

"It's good, but I'm not so sure. Last I remember, it was cracked and seawater had gotten inside it," Summer replied. "I don't know if it saved his position successfully." Without any prompting from either of the rangers, Ben's Styler began looking into its memory for the coordinates.

"Searching... searching..." it announced, startling everyone.

"Whoa, take it easy Voice Nav.! I know you can do it!" Murph cheered. Eventually it stopped searching.

"Search complete," it announced. "This Styler received impact shock at X Coordinate 055621, Y Coordinate 355693. Thank you very much... Murph." Everyone cheered upon hearing this news.

"Did anyone catch that last part?" Murph wondered aloud. "I couldn't understand it clearly from all the cheering."

"I did," Ben replied. "You're a great ally, Murph. Right now we need to head to that spot on the Union!" Murph nodded and hurried to Tilt Village to prepare things.

"This is makin' me all teary-eyed," Booker said, wiping his eyes. "My ship, long thought to be retired, is settin' sail to save Oblivia. It's plumb astoundin'. I'll be at home, wishing for your success and safety."

* * *

><p>"Now arriving at X Coordinate 055621, Y Coordinate 355693," Ben's Styler announced.<p>

"Well, it looks like we've reached the Rainbow Dais," Murph said. "Got anything you want to get off your chest? Hopefully not a tentacool?" Both rangers looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

"Actually, there is one thing, and we think we should show you now instead of later," Ben answered. Murph looked at the two apprehensively before a bright flash forced him to shield his eyes. When he looked again, he saw a latias and latios looking back at him. Both Eon dragons still had the yellow scarves around their necks, the goggles on their heads, and the Stylers attached to one of their claws.

"Whoa!" he shouted. "Oh my... T-This is... this is incredible! It... this... how?"

"The feelings we had earlier," Ben explained, "led to this discovery. I'm still not sure we're the original Latias and Latios, or if there's a way to turn back, but we'll worry about that later."

"Well, those Pinchers sure won't know what hit them now. I have so many questions, but you really should get going. The fate of the world rests in your hands... er, claws. That... sounded a lot better in my head." With that, they put on their goggles, grabbed the Rainbow Grail, and dived as quickly as possible. Upon reaching the Rainbow Dais, they set the oversized cup on its surface. Moments later the water around them vibrated intensely, and they barely managed to swim out of the way before the rising platform could hit them.

"Whoa!" Pichu cried as he saw the dais erupt from the water. The Eon pokémon soon followed it out of the water, with Summer pausing to grab Pichu, and stopped at the top. "So, what happens now?"

"I think-" Ben started to say before they heard the sound of flapping wings. Their eyes widened in surprise as Ho-Oh flew onto the scene. The giant phoenix landed in front of them and smiled as much as it could.

"It pleases me to see you two again," Ho-Oh greeted warmly. "I am glad to see that my wish has been granted, and I am even more pleased by your continued efforts in your human forms."

"Wait a minute, your voice... I can't help but feel like I've heard it before," Ben said, holding a claw under his mouth.

"You do sound familiar. Have we met before?" Summer asked, feeling the same way.

"We have indeed met before," she spoke. "You may not remember the events of long ago, but I do. Where did you get the knowledge of how to move yourselves and utilize your abilities? Surely the source could not have been your instincts."

"Hold on," Ben realized. "You... you were the voice in our heads? How? And why us?"

"You may have learned this by now, but you two are _indeed_ the very same Latias and Latios that saved Oblivia a long time ago," the fire-type pokémon revealed. "I made a promise to have the both of you reincarnated for your deeds so that you would live out the rest of your lives in a peaceful world. It would seem, however," she lamented as she closed her eyes, "that you must repeat history and end this crisis."

"We promise to see this through," Summer said.

"I thank you. Ben, I can sense the anger in your heart," Ho-Oh spoke. "You are right to feel this way."

"Huh? I'm not angry," the latios responded, confused. "Why should I be?"

"I have felt it since the moment you and your partner received those visions," she continued, sounding guilty. "Your human lives were taken away at that point. I did not want to believe it at first, but seeing you in person has made me realize just how rashly I acted. For that, I am truly sorry for both of you." Ben was silent for a moment as he processed Ho-Oh's words.

"...Don't worry. It's okay," Ben replied. "I already accepted that I won't be getting back to normal, albeit reluctantly. I now know for sure that's not happening, but right now that's not important. What matters is saving our... yes, our home." He held a paw on the triangle on his chest as he looked at the Sky Fortress, then at Ho-Oh. "There are bad people that mean to enslave us all, and I refuse to put my needs over that of Oblivia while I have the power to stop them," he pledged.

"I'm with Ben," Summer said. "Besides, you were carrying out a promise you made to us. You're a true friend, Ho-Oh." Now it was the phoenix's turn to be silent as she ran their words through her mind. Her smile returned moments later.

"...I see that your valiant spirits have not changed after all this time. It is no coincidence that you two work together after all. You used to be a couple before tragedy befell you." The dragons couldn't help but blush from her statement while Pichu chuckled to himself. He looked at the fortress and coughed.

"Ho-Oh, we need your help. Can you set Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno free?" Pichu pleaded. Ho-Oh gazed at the Sky Fortress and narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, of course," she replied, straightening up. "I remember why I have been summoned. We must speak at a less tumultuous, my friends." With that, she shook herself, spread her wings and took flight. Ben, Summer, and Pichu flew by her side. Flames surged across Ho-Oh's body as she flew forward, trailing a rainbow behind her. Once she flew over the barrier, the Legendary Birds flew after her, removing the barrier protecting the fortress.

"Danger! Danger!" the Eon pokémon's Stylers exclaimed. "Multiple energy signatures detected originating from the main cannon. Proceed with caution." Ho-Oh looped around and hovered in front of the rangers.

"I will clear a path. It has been a while since I last displayed my power and I want to keep my skills sharp. Fly alongside me, you two, and follow my lead." All three legendary pokémon combined their powers, forming a large shield, and flew directly to the middle of the Sky Fortress. All attacks launched by the fortress's defense cannons were immediately disintegrated on impact. Once they were close enough, Ho-Oh broke from the formation to take Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno away from the scene. "The rest is up to you. Save Oblivia once more!"


	9. The Societea

The room they entered featured a large room with three doors around a much larger door of multiple colors. A few pokémon lingered around the premises, none of them appearing aware of what was happening.

"The Societea is bound to have all sorts of traps and tricks waiting for us," Pichu advised. "Splitting up seems like a good idea, but we might be better off traveling together."

"Yes. Along with that, they're definitely expecting human rangers," Summer reminded. "We can use our disguises to get the drop on them."

"Once we see them, we can try and confiscate their armor without needing to get close. Psychic might work there," Ben suggested. Just as they decided their plan, they heard the sound of beating wings, followed by someone landing behind them. The latios turned around, already knowing who it was. "Rand? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if there was a way to make the Sky Fortress less dangerous," the elder ranger answered. "I simply couldn't stay behind without doing my part to stop them."

"Spoken like a true ranger," Summer commented. "Hey, do you hear that? It sounds like a Z.Z. Flyer. Why would-" She cut herself off as everyone saw that the owner of the vehicle was Nema, surprisingly. She flew in on a personalized version of the Pinchers' vehicle, its color scheme being primarily white with blue in various spots.

"Nema! You should be back at home. It's too dangerous here!" Rand reprimanded.

"What if you run out of power?" she countered. "I want to help too, papa! My invention can get the job done quickly, and I'm working on one to help you right now."

"Nema... well, okay," he resigned. He ran a hand through her hair. "You sure seem to take after your old man, huh? You can stay here, but stay safe, okay?"

"I'll hide out here if you need me. Right about now, it looks like your Stylers could use a recharge." She grabbed their Stylers and instantly charged them up to full capacity before returning them.

"So tell me, how do you plan to disable the fortress?" Rand wondered. "I can check their defenses for important switches and see if I can do something about that cannon of theirs. What about you?"

"Our plan is to go in disguise, maneuver through their traps, and grab their armor once we spot an opening," Ben explained. "Hopefully, we'll avoid more conflict this way." The elder ranger nodded in approval. Nema pulled out a device that looked like a pokédex and gave it to her father.

"Make sure to keep my daughter safe, all right?" Both dragons flew closer to Nema and nuzzled her once more. Rand smiled at the sight and ran through the southern entrance.

"Thanks, Summer, Ben, and even you, Pichu. Good luck." They broke away and changed into their disguises. Ben and Pichu ran into the room on the far left.

"Hey, wait up!"

* * *

><p>It was only after going a few feet did Ben and Pichu realize something was amiss.<p>

"Um, Pichu? Where's Summer?"

"She was here a second ago... Ben, I'm getting a weird feeling."

"What is it?"

"Oh, just a strange sense of impending doom. I could be wrong though." As soon as he looked down, he realized they were somehow standing in the air. That didn't last long for him, however. "Wait a minute... I'm falling!" Before he could hit the ground, Ben quickly changed form and caught Pichu in his claws. "You know, I don't know why," he mused as they descended to safety, "but I feel so safe in either of you guys' claws."

"I think it has something to do with that Heal Pulse Summer kept using on you. It helped you feel better earlier, right? We just want to make sure you're okay, especially after everything that's happened recently."

"Thanks." Eventually they settled on a platform leading into another room, and Ben changed form once more. This room had a strange tube filled with a red liquid. Within the liquid was Mewtwo, much to their surprise.

"I don't think we can free him, Ben. There's no switch to press," Pichu observed.

"It might be for the best. I haven't even met Mewtwo and I know it's a force to be reckoned with." They continued into the next room and up a flight of stairs, eventually reuniting with their partner.

"Ben! Pichu!" she scolded. "What did you think you were doing? Rushing ahead like that, falling, and leaving me behind sure was reckless. Try not to rush so much next time." Ben found her tone odd, but decided to let it pass for now since it _was_ his impatience that caused them to be separated.

"I'm sorry, Summer," he apologized.

"Me too," Pichu added.

"Anyways, after that door closed on me, these yellow switches appeared. Maybe we can use them to do something about the blocked path," she suggested. "Let's start with the middle one." Ben immediately stood above the switch, using his psychic abilities to simulate standing on it. This caused spikes to shoot out of the floor.

"Agh!" he cried as he jumped in fright. Pichu narrowly dodged them by jumping onto his back. Summer was strangely unfazed by this.

"These people are crazy!" Pichu remarked. "Spikes?!"

"I'm sorry, I guess that one was trapped. Maybe the top switch is the one we should use?" Ben "jumped" over the spikes to hit the switch, only to be blown across the room by two electrode using Explosion. He landed on the only switch that removed the blockade from earlier. "Oh my, Ben. Are you going to be all right?"

"Ugh... That hurt even though the Styler absorbed most of the damage," Ben replied, getting up and dusting himself off, "but it's nothing a Heal Pulse can't fix." He pointed at himself and Pichu, sending the healing energy coursing through both of them and removing their bruises. Summer widened her eyes at this and gasped. "What's wrong, Summer? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"N-n-nothing. It was just a random thought I had."

"Really? What was it about?"

"...Never mind. The barricade's down, so we should get going." Ben shrugged and led the way. As soon as he got close to the switch, Summer shoved him onto it. The switch caused a large rock to fall down and block their path.

"HEY! What was that all about?!" he yelled angrily. "That hurt!" Pichu glared at her, suspicious about her action.

"Sorry, I was about to trip," she replied innocently. "I never meant to cause this." Ben sighed and captured the pokémon needed to remove the obstacle, then moved on once the target was cleared. "Hmm, there's another switch. I'll try it this time." The ranger moved onto the switch as Ben closed his eyes, mentally scanning his partner. Within a second he determined that this was not Summer, but Kasa in disguise. He focused his mental powers and saw things from Summer's perspective.

"Ben, you figured it out as well, I see," the real Summer said calmly, picking up on her counterpart's mental signal. "I've been locked in this room by someone looking a lot like you. What do you suppose we do?"

"Play along for now," Ben replied mentally, maintaining the same air of calm as his partner. "Once we meet up, we'll have her cornered." The disguised latios smirked to himself. He mentally relayed the information to Pichu, who smirked as well. "We'll meet up with Summer again." He switched off his powers as he heard spikes shoot out of the ground again.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sooo sorry," "Summer" said, not actually sorry about her actions. Ben considered flying over the spikes just to startle her, knowing that the Golden Armor piece she had wouldn't allow anything terrible to befall her, but decided against it. Instead, he ran forward, dodged all the spikes, and headed up the stairs, leaving "Summer" behind once more. The real Summer stood at the top of the flight and winked at him.

"Kasa is in the room below," Ben whispered. "We'll need to put up a cunning disguise of our own, if you know what I mean."

"Right," she whispered back. Then she spoke with mock anger. "You won't fool me again, faker!"

"What are you talking about?" Ben asked, feigning confusion.

"Don't play dumb! You locked me in here!" she shouted, laughing a little bit after she stopped.

"Yeah, that's right!" Another person, looking very much like Ben, entered the room. Accompanying "him" was a Pichu that had a ukulele on its back. The rangers exchanged knowing glances as the person came closer. "Impressive disguise, Mr. Fake Me!" "he" shouted angrily. "You tricked poor Summer and locked her in this room!"

"There's two Ben? And Pichu? Oh, I can't tell who's who!" Summer cried, though there was a slight hint of falsehood in her horrified tone. She raised her index finger as an "idea" came to her. "I've got it!" Without warning, she immediately shed her disguise, revealing her true latias form. Ben followed suit, revealing his true latios form. Both Eon dragons glared at "Ben", who stood there in complete shock. "Oh, that's right!" she said mentally, startling the false ranger and partner pokémon even more. "Both of us happen to be Latias and Latios."

"H-h-how? What... what is this?!" "Ben" asked, terrified by this turn of events. The Pichu by "his" side transformed into a ditto, having been startled enough to break the transformation. Both of them began to back away, too scared to follow through with the plan they had in mind. "This would explain your fast recovery, but...how?!" Both rangers could tell this was beginning to overwhelm the master of disguise and decided to put an end to it.

"Give it up, Kasa," Ben stated, floating closer. "We had you fooled all along. Surrender the Golden Armor peacefully and we'll take you home safely. I promise." Before he could grab her, the armor attached to her emitted a blinding light. When the light cleared, she and her ditto were gone. "Darn it!"

"I guess that armor has a mind of its own," Pichu said, "and sensed its owner was in danger. That, or she managed to activate one of its powers just in the nick of time."

"Readings indicate the disappearance of one of the seals on the door," Summer's Styler announced.

"Looks like it's time to check out another room."

* * *

><p>After switching forms and having Nema recharge their Stylers, they headed for the north door. As soon as they entered, the door shut and locked behind them. Ahead of them stood Arley. His gaze spoke of ill intent.<p>

"You're here," he said curtly.

"Where's your boss, Ed?" Summer asked him.

"Ben," he said, ignoring her question, "do you remember when we first met? Back then you seemed small time. Had I known you would be such an issue later on, I would have dealt with you then." He raised his fists, instantly commanding all the pokémon in the room to be hostile. "Unless you step on those red and blue switches, you won't reach me or Ed 'the Thinker'." With that, the man disappeared into the next room.

"Must be why Ed's 'the Thinker'," Summer and Ben muttered. They split up to capture and release the pokémon that stood in their path, eventually making their way onto the next platform.

"Arley is a hard man who likely won't be too fazed by our real forms," Ben analyzed. "We'll have to deal with whatever pokémon he sends our way this time." Summer nodded in agreement.

"I'm impressed," Arley said upon seeing them enter his room. "You're quite smart and brave youths. Are you strong as well?" He stretched his arms. "As a wrestler, I learned that power is all I had and all I could use. Let's see if you are strong enough to handle this." He jumped back as a regigigas dropped into the room, surprising both rangers and Pichu.

"Regigigas was sealed away a long time ago. How is it here?" Ben wondered.

"This armor gives the Societea limitless power," Arley explained. "You can't hope to compete with that. Show them, Regigigas!" The trio jumped away from the punch Regigigas sent their way. The ground shook as Regigigas slowly advanced closer.

"A little levitation should yield an opening," Ben muttered. In an instant he was now hovering about the ground, surprising Arley slightly. Ben fired the Capture Disc and looped it around the legendary a few times.

"Regigigas, use Mega Punch!" Ben managed to dodge most of the punch, but was dealt a glancing blow that possessed enough force to knock him to the wall. Summer cloaked her Styler in her signature red energy, then fired her Capture Disc, guiding it around the pokémon as quickly as she could before she was forced to jump away from a Mega Punch. The Magnitude that followed sent her onto her back. "Now, use Hyper Beam!" Summer rolled out of the way as Regigigas charged its attack. It aimed at them and fired, but nothing came out.

"I knew it would work!" Summer cried triumphantly.

"What? What did you do? Why did Hyper Beam fail?!" Summer ignored Arley's questions and nodded to Ben. Feeling experimental, he cloaked his Styler in blue energy and looped the disc around Regigigas, who seemed noticeably weaker with each loop.

"Now, Summer! Pichu!" Pichu shot a Thunder Shock at it as Summer looped her disc around Regigigas.

"Regigigas, Earthquake!" Regigigas stomped as hard as it could, sending up large shards of rock and dirt that made it hard to see. The rangers responded by putting on their goggles. After one more loop, Regigigas sat down and seemingly shut off, leaving behind a stunned Arley and a mildly wounded trio.

"I-I never thought... you would be this good," Arley said, unable to come up with much to say. He fell to his knees as the rangers settled on the ground. "This is madness..."

"Power isn't everything, Arley," Ben spoke. "Now give us the Golden Armor." Before neither party could continue, Arley disappeared in a flash of light. "It happened again..."

"I'm sure they'll be all right," Summer said. "For now, let's head back."

* * *

><p>"Nema, are you all right?" Summer asked her.<p>

"I'm doing well right here," she replied as she charged their Stylers. "The other pokémon here aren't giving me any trouble, and no Pinchers showed up. What about you three?"

"We're doing well. Did your father come back yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure he's doing fine. It looks like there's only one door left."

"We've seen Kasa and Arley," Ben said. "Ed's probably behind that center door. All that's left is Hocus. With that Golden Armor he has, who knows what tricks that magician will try to pull?" Nema clipped their Stylers back onto their arms.

"Don't worry. Even if he has that armor backing him up, you two still have the ability to see right through whatever magic tricks he has planned," she reassured them. The trio nodded and put on their disguises before entering the last room on the far right. To their surprise, Hocus appeared right in front of them in a burst of smoke.

"Laaaaadies and gentlemen! ...And Pichu," he greeted. "Nothing up my sleeve but a hello! Welcome to the miraculous Hocus show! I'll be your guide to a mysterious world!" He tipped his top hat and held up his cane.

"Get ready," Pichu muttered anxiously.

"My first illusion is 'On the Clouds'! One! Two! Three! Go!" He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the rocky interior was replaced by clouds and blue sky. "Behold, my miraculous illusion!" He chuckled as he saw the rangers' surprise at his antics. "Until next time." He disappeared.

"We can show him some magic of our own," Summer said. Ben nodded and took her hand in his. The duo walked forward, using their psychic abilities to make sure Pichu wasn't caught off guard by any hidden gaps. In no time at all they arrived in front of Hocus, who had four giant boxes behind him.

"Wonderful! That calmness is truly wonderful!" the magician congratulated as he clapped for them.

"Hey, enough with the taunts!" Ben demanded. For once, the magician actually frowned.

"Well then, it seems like it's time for my next trick," he replied, strangely serious. He held his baton in the same hand his gauntlet was attached to. "This one is of a more advanced league than the parlor tricks I did for the children in Tilt Village. For this one, I'll need a volunteer... You there! You'll do!" He pointed his baton at Pichu.

"Wha...!" Pichu found himself being lifted by what could only be described as the power of the armor. The rangers looked on in shock as he then disappeared.

"Ho ho! Which box could the little fellow be hiding in?" Hocus grinned again, then disappeared once more.

"Poor Pichu. He's already gone through the loss of his home," Summer lamented. "He's gotta be around here somewhere."

"Wait, Summer. Listen closely... do you hear that?" The twang of a ukulele followed by the sound of electricity being fired rang through the quiet air. "Let's follow the sound." After capturing a mismagius, they followed it to one of the boxes. "Pichu? Is that you in there?"

"Pleeease get me outta here!" he wailed. "It's cramped!" Once Mismagius broke the box and flew away, Pichu leaped into Summer's waiting hands. "Thanks again guys! I'm sorry I fell for that awful trap."

"Pichu, it's not your fault. Anyone can see that," she reassured him.

"Still..." Pichu was saddened by what just happened.

"Don't worry. That armor has got to be manipulating him. Let's get him and then get Ed." The trio made a beeline for the cloud-covered door and headed up the stairs.

"Simply amazing, rangers! You found the correct solution," he greeted them. "How resourceful! Now it's time for me to display my escape magic..."

"Hocus, these are cheap tricks for children. Give it up!" Summer demanded, sounding a little harsher than she intended.

"Ouch, that's quite harsh, especially since you fell for them anyway," he responded, brushing off the insult. "I can see that you don't like my magic. Very well, I'll show you one last trick, then I'll bow out. This will be my first performance of it in front of an audience, so no complaints." He raised the armor on his wrist. "Behold, my Sky-High Illusion!" Ben and Summer switched forms, momentarily caught off guard by the flash that erupted from the armor. When the light dimmed, everyone found themselves in the air.

"Wait a minute! Is this part of his illusion?" Summer wondered.

"Probably," Ben replied. Suddenly the clouds beneath them erupted as a gigantic Hocus appeared before them. "How did he get so massive?"

"This is my finest illusion yet!" he announced. He then looked at the Eon duo in confusion. "Was my illusion so grand it transformed the rangers? I never knew I had it in me." Looking closer, he saw the scarves, Stylers, and goggles worn by the two dragon-and-psychic-type pokémon. He immediately dismissed the thought as he pieced the information together. "So, this is not a trick of mine. Very interesting. Anyways, the show must go on! Here's the highlight of the trick!" As he disappeared, a giant crobat took its place. Both rangers smirked to each other, knowing they had the advantage this time.

"This battle is ours." Ben held the massive crobat still with his Psychic attack while Summer made the capture, ending the battle nearly a minute later. The scenery returned to normal as Hocus shrank back to normal size.

"It seems my illusion was a failure..." he muttered in disappointment, falling on one knee. "And so quickly, too. Boy, that sure took a lot out of me..."

"Responding to Ed's invitation was the mistake you made," Ben said.

"Doesn't it make you happy when kids smile because of your magic, Hocus? Isn't that your calling?" Summer asked him.

"...You know, that hits pretty close to home," he admitted, looking up at the latias and latios. "Unfortunately, I can't go back." Hocus smiled weakly at them. "There are some things even a magician like myself can't undo." The magician stood up and put up a stronger smile. "Well, that's the end of my show! See you next time!" With that, he and his illusions disappeared.

* * *

><p>Once they approached the big door and traced the symbol on its surface, it opened.<p>

"All right! It looks like you can proceed! Nice job, everyone!" Nema congratulated as she repaired their Stylers. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Nema, thank you for your help," Ben said.

"I'll wait here for papa," Nema suggested.

"Good idea. There's no more bad guys on this floor, so you'll definitely be safe," Summer agreed. "It's time to confront Ed 'the Thinker', Ben!" Once they went inside, they ascended the series of steps.

"Pichu, are you going to be all right?" Ben asked in concern.

"As long as I've got you guys with me, I'll be fine," Pichu responded. "That terrible man is at the top, waiting for us, but he doesn't stand a chance against us. We'll disarm him and put a stop to this."

"Right!" both rangers shouted.

"On that note, why didn't we just fly to the top?"

"The Golden Armor has to be disabled piece by piece," Summer explained. "We would likely have been overwhelmed if they decided to combine their powers." Suddenly they felt the whole fortress shake as they approached the door to Edward.

"Did something just explode?"


	10. The Power of the Golden Armor

At the other side of the hallway stood Doctor Edward, though he was now known as Ed "the Thinker". He smiled confidently at the disguised rangers as they rushed to meet him, stopping mere meters away.

"So you've finally come this far, pokémon rangers! Commendable for youths such as yourselves," he greeted, "though reckless all the same."

"Ed, this is as far as your scheme goes! Surrender peacefully," Ben suggested.

"My plan is almost on the verge of completion. Soon Oblivia-no, the whole world- will be mine. It's far too early to surrender."

"Your doctor job... was that all a ruse?"

"Oh no, that was real." Ed paced around his area as he spoke. "You see, being a doctor was what I worked towards in my youth. However, I was born bad, so I sought a balance to keep things simple. That's how most villains are, more or less. Additionally, this is how I found out about the secrets of Oblivia. My patients thought the idea of immortality to be ridiculous, but I knew it could be acquired. I thought long and hard about my choice, and I realized that immortality really is my deepest desire. Eternal life and the world were the only treasures I sought but could never get my hands on... until now." He clenched his fist to emphasize his point.

"That's so selfish!" Summer cried.

"Is it? Everyone will live happily in my new world, and as the absolute ruler of that world, dying would not be a possibility for me. I may even somehow grant immortality to others who win my favor. Isn't that the perfect world people want?"

"No, Edward, it isn't," Rand said as he and Nema entered the room. "Everyone gives their all because life is limited. We take on tasks, love others, protect the world we live in and our children..." He paused as he looked at Nema before continuing. "It's the limited time we have that ultimately enriches the world. Ed, why do you have the armor once worn by the Ancient Ruler? Is it possible that they grew tired of immortality?"

"That is a valid point. However, I know I can handle it, unlike the Ancient Ruler. I have thought this through time and again, and I know that this is my deepest desire. ...I see that words are not enough to convince you, so instead I will show you how strongly my mind is made up." Ed "the Thinker" snapped his fingers, materializing the Golden Armor's helmet around his head, and clenched his fists, then opened them. A large, purple portal appeared to his left as Mewtwo appeared, holding itself together. It soon released itself and levitated at its full height.

"So that really was Mewtwo we saw back there..." Pichu said.

"Mewtwo?!" Rand cried.

"Now to begin my first task as the new Ancient Ruler," Ed said. "Eliminate all those who oppose me, Mewtwo! Get them!" Ben and Summer readied their Stylers. Rand pulled his daughter to safety before joining his fellow rangers.

"Brace yourselves!" Mewtwo fired a large Shadow Ball at them. Rand jumped away and fired his Capture Disc. He managed to get a few loops in before Mewtwo quickly fired a Confusion attack, breaking the line. Ben and Summer charged their Capture Discs, then fired them at the same time. To confuse the controlled pokémon, they traveled in different directions.

"Keep it up, you guys!" Nema cheered. Suddenly Mewtwo curled up before letting out a burst of psychic energy that broke both lines and created crackling orbs of psychic energy around it.

"Pichu, are you ready?" She pointed her Styler at him and enveloped him in a protective red light. He then ran forward and played his ukulele, weakening Mewtwo's desire to fight with every note. The pokémon's attempts at attacking him were thwarted by Summer's power. Once he was finished, he unleashed a potent Thunderbolt attack, paralyzing Mewtwo temporarily.

"Now's our chance!" Summer charged her capture disc and looped it around the Genetic pokémon. With every loop, the orbs surrounding it disappeared one by one. Rand and Ben charged their capture discs and followed Summer's path.

"Mewtwo, unleash your Psystrike!" Edward cried frantically, but it was too late. Before he knew it, Mewtwo's desire to fight was completely gone as it floated back to Edward's side, dormant once more. "Th-this is impossible...! How could this have happened?!"

"We're not the only ones opposing you, Edward," Summer explained. "As we battled Mewtwo, I heard several voices from all over Oblivia."

"I... see," he muttered angrily, glaring at his foes from his helmet. "If that's so, I'll let you hear the real voices of Oblivia, though I'm afraid they'll be screams."

"What do you mean?" the disguised latios asked.

"You'll know soon enough." A panel opened up below him and he pressed the button with his right foot.

"Now what?"

"Renbow Island will share the same fate as Dolce Island," he responded calmly. "Let's hear what those "voices" really sound like."

"What? Don't do anything rash, Ed!"

"It's too late. The Giga-Plasma Cannon has already begun charging its energy. In moments Renbow Island will be cast into oblivion."

"But, my mom is there!" Nema cried. Rand chuckled and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Relax, Nema. Renbow Island isn't going anywhere," the elder ranger responded calmly.

"Rand, you aren't seriously underestimating my weapon, are you?" Ed questioned.

"It won't work. I made sure of that," he answered smugly, "with my daughter's invention. She just saved the life of everyone in Oblivia from your weapon."

"Was that what that explosion was?!" Edward's calm front began to falter as he looked around. "Arley! Hocus! Kasa! With all the armor pieces, I will surely emerge victorious."

"You're pathetic, Edward." Everyone looked around for the source of the voice and got their answer in the form of a yellow portal appearing to Edward's right. A gardevoir stepped out of it, soon followed by a chuckling Purple Eyes. The gardevoir immediately closed it and teleported elsewhere.

"Purple Eyes!"

"Still?!" Ben asked, baffled by the man's tenacity.

"Hmph! You rangers are no better about your tenacity," he chided. "Ed, you're right about the Golden Armor. You'd never lose if you wore all the pieces."

"Nitwit," he replied. He scowled at his former lackey. "You don't know everything."

"I owe my knowledge to my experience in archaeology. After what happened at Layuda Mountain, I did my best to make sense of those writings. Here are the fruits of my labor." Three pieces of the Golden Armor materialized in front of him. Everyone gasped in shock.

"You scoundrel! What did you do to Kasa and the others?!"

"Stealing these from those old fops was like taking candy from a baby."

"You work for _us_, Purple Eyes! Have you forgotten that?"

"It's too late for that, Eddie-boy. You fired me, remember?" The leader of the Societea grunted in frustration, wishing he had the foresight to account for such a stubborn person. "All I need is those pauldrons and helmet you have and the set will be complete."

"T-There's no way I'll hand them over! I've come too far...! What?"

"Heh heh heh. You don't have a choice." The armor pieces Edward had disappeared and materialized in front of Purple Eyes. "The pieces know who their rightful owner is. Now, I'll show you how to properly wield its power." All the armor pieces disappeared, then re-materialized in their correct spots among Purple Eyes's body. All that remained was the helmet.

"...!"

"Now, Eddie," he spoke, a hint of vengeance evident in his condescending expression. "I have a lot of respect for you, so I offer you this chance to be in my inner circle."

"That... that's enough nonsense!" he cried angrily. Purple Eyes donned the helmet and was enveloped in a fiery, purple aura. The power he radiated forced everyone to take a step back as Mewtwo teleported to his right side, will to fight restored.

"Take your time. Think it over," Purple Eyes said casually. "Still, it feels like this armor was made for me. This power is incredible... so incredible that I'll give some it it to Mewtwo." He pointed at Mewtwo and sent a burst of energy its way. This caused Mewtwo to be cloaked in the same fiery aura surrounding Purple Eyes. "That should keep me in check."

"This is bad," Rand stated. "Edward, get out of there!"

"I should have been the one wearing the armor," the doctor lamented.

"Hey Eddie!" Purple Eyes shouted cheerfully. "We'll get rid of that regret you're feeling!" As he raised his hands, so did the Genetic pokémon, who charged up a huge Shadow Ball. The doctor stepped back in fear.

"NOOOOO!" Rand immediately leaped toward his former enemy, hoping to take him out of the line of fire. "Mewtwo, stop!" he shouted futilely. Ben, Summer, Pichu, and Nema could only watch in shock and horror as Rand and Edward faded away once the orb made contact with them.

"Rand! Why? Why did this happen?" Ben lamented.

"It's because he got in the way," Purple Eyes said simply. "He made things easier for me, though. Less riffraff to deal with."

"Where's Papa?" Nema asked.

"Ask Mewtwo. It's the one who sent them elsewhere. Now then... Any last words before you suffer the same fate? I'll tell the Ranger Union for you. Of course, I'm only joking. The rangers won't be around in my world."

"You may all be Pinchers, but don't count on us forgiving you like Red Eyes and Blue Eyes," Summer declared. "Nema, find some cover!" She ran out of the room to watch from the door.

"So that's it then. Let's begin." Mewtwo fired a few balls of psychic energy and detonated them, pushing the trio back a short distance. "I know what you really are. Surrender and I'll make your sentence a light one."

"Ben, that aura will make getting close difficult," Summer explained mentally. "Can you lower Mewtwo's defenses?" Both rangers evaded Mewtwo's explosive Double Team.

"Yes, but I'll need some room. Can you distract him?" Ben gestured toward Purple Eyes.

"I'll look for an opportunity." She fired her capture disc, only managing to loop it around the pokémon twice before the line broke.

"Try this! Mewtwo, Shadow Ball!" Purple Eyes commanded. As Mewtwo charged up another massive Shadow Ball, Ben and Pichu headed to the left side of the room. Summer proceeded to the right, but stumbled as one of the tiles detonated beneath her. She tumbled to the floor. Seeing that she wouldn't be able to evade the attack in time, the ranger decided to redirect the full brunt of the attack away from Ben and Pichu.

"I'm wide open! Do your worst, Purple Eyes!" she taunted. Ben and Pichu looked at her, wondering what she had planned.

"You must have lost the will to survive," Purple Eyes commented, shaking his head. "It's quite ironic that the loudest one surrenders quickly. Very well, then. Destroy her!" The Genetic pokémon faced her and dropped the attack on her as she stood on one knee. Summer held up one hand as the ball engulfed her and exploded, kicking up a lot of dust and debris.

"Summer!" Ben cried in horror. As soon as the dust cleared, he looked for her, but she was nowhere to be found. "This can't be...!"

"It seems she was banished like the others," Purple Eyes nonchalantly noted, "rather than destroyed. I don't know where that latias went and I don't care. Surrender or suffer the same fate." A low-scale Hyper Beam erupted from where Ben stood, knocking him to the ground and heavily damaging his Styler. His disguise disintegrated, exposing his true form. "This is your last chance."

"Ben! Ben! You have to get up!" Pichu pleaded as he shook the barely conscious latios. "Summer would have wanted you-would have wanted us to keep fighting! Oblivia needs you!" Ben stared at where Summer was in despair, having lost the desire to save Oblivia without his partner at his side. He wasn't even sure if he could simply call her his partner anymore. Having known each other a short time before they became rangers, and even longer if Ho-Oh was to be believed, he couldn't imagine going through life without her. He shut his eyes, regret diminishing his will to continue.

"Giving up? Wise choice. Mewtwo, put them out of their misery," Purple Eyes ordered confidently. "This world is-augh! Why is this armor so heavy?! Something's not right."


	11. Strength

"Ben, look! Is that who I think it is?" Pichu wondered. Out of curiosity, Ben looked in the direction Pichu was pointing, and saw what appeared to be a familiar-looking absol.

"Amun? What's he doing here?"

"Ben!" the absol shouted. "Summer has Purple Eyes distracted! Now is your chance!" The latios looked at Purple Eyes and noticed an odd shimmer in the air around him. It collided with the golden-armored man and pinned him to the ground just as he was about to stand.

"Ben! You've gotta get up! Mewtwo is vulnerable!" The voice in his mind sounded vaguely like Summer's, even possessing the same gentle yet energetic tone he had come to love and admire. He briefly wondered if he was just hallucinating her voice as a way to dispel his immense regret. Nevertheless, he found himself unable to give up and felt determined to see this mission through, not just for his partner but for all of Oblivia. He pushed himself upward and cloaked his entire Styler in blue energy, then charged the capture disc before firing it at Mewtwo.

"I'll cover you!" Amun stated. The absol stood in front of him and cast Protect, shielding the latios from every attack Mewtwo used as he twirled the Styler as deftly as he could. With each loop he created, the defensive aura shrank slightly until it disintegrated. Ben retracted the disc just as Mewtwo was about to unleash an attack, then sent it out when Mewtwo's attack was repulsed by the shield. He twirled the Styler as fast as he could, and moments later, Mewtwo had become docile once more. It no longer glowed with the malevolent power of the Golden Armor and nodded its thanks to the other pokémon.

"Get off me, whatever you are!" Purple Eyes demanded. In a burst of strength, he shot up, knocking whatever was there off of him as he got to his feet. "Mewtwo use... Mewtwo?" The Genetic pokémon looked at the armored man and scoffed, then teleported elsewhere. "What? N-no! This... this is some kind of mistake..." he stammered, dumbfounded by what had just happened. The power he used had just been conquered by a couple of pokémon, much to his utter shame. The fact that there _were_ legendary pokémon attacking him did naught except magnify how humiliated he felt, knowing that he should have tried to control at least one of them. He should have been able to turn them against each other and emerge triumphant. He stood on both knees as the Golden Armor fell off of him, piece by piece, and disappeared to parts unknown. "This is ABSURD! What have you done to me? How could I have lost to a group of pokémon?"

"Purple Eyes," Summer said as she reappeared by Ben's side, startling the man, "that Golden Armor caused all these disasters. It was for the best." Ben felt a surge of blood rush to his face as he gazed upon his partner, grateful that his worst fear did not indeed come to pass. Nema came out of her cover and joined the pokémon now that it was safe to come out.

"...It's over. Everything's over," he admitted, clenching his fists in anger, "but don't get me wrong. It's over for you, too." Before anyone could ask what he meant, the entire fortress rumbled.

"What's going on?!" Ben shouted. "What's happened to the air current?"

"The Sky Fortress!" Summer replied as she looked outside. "It's falling!"

"Why so surprised, _rangers_?" Purple Eyes spat mockingly. He coughed as his body tried to adjust to the sudden disappearance of energy that formerly coursed through it. "The armor's power controlled the fortress; of course this would happen once it was defeated." Everyone's eyes widened in alarm as he continued. "Well, the rangers and pinchers had a long fight, but it looks like it's a tie in the end. Try not to worry about that." With one final laugh, Purple Eyes fell unconscious, unable to take the withdrawal any longer.

"If something this big falls into the ocean," Nema explained worriedly to the pokémon, "the resulting giant wave will wipe out all of Oblivia! I'm not joking!" A loud beeping noise coming from Ben's Styler cut off her warning.

"Hold on... I'm getting a message," Ben announced, "but it's garbled."

"Allow me. Mewtwo's powers really messed up the Styler. Just... move a few things, and... done. Try it."

"...This is Leanne! Is everyone okay? Please say something!"

"Umm... Mom! Get to a high place! I know! Latolato Mountain! Evacuate everyone there!"

"Calm down. I've heard everything going on, barring a few points here and there, and I have something important to tell you all," her mother responded. "This happened in the past as well. The defunct Sky Fortress was lowered into the ground when the Hero or, rather, Heroes of Oblivia used the power of the rainbow to slow it down."

"Ho-Oh is the rainbow!" Summer cried immediately.

"Right! If you can call Ho-Oh, you just might be able to minimize the resulting damage and save everyone."

"We'll keep an eye on everyone here," Amun offered. "Go!"

"Purple Eyes won't get away on my account!" Pichu declared. Both Eon pokémon nodded and flew outside, only to see Ho-Oh already flying their way.

"Sorry I am late," she said. "I had to settle things with the trio."

"Ho-Oh, can you stop the Sky Fortress?" the dragons requested. She nodded confidently, determination shining in her fiery eyes.

"Yes," she replied, "but I will need your help. This may not be possible for me alone."

"We're ready to assist you," Ben said. Ho-Oh divebombed toward the falling Sky Fortress, trailing a mystic rainbow in her path. Ben and Summer flew next to her and held their paws out to her, combining their power with her own. They flew around it three times before retreating. The rainbow construct she made gradually slowed the fortress's fall, allowing it to slide into the ocean slowly and nearly seamlessly. "Hopefully this is the last time we will have to do that."

"The people of Oblivia owe you a huge debt of gratitude, Ho-Oh," Ben said.

"Do not worry," the phoenix replied. "My children's continued presence in such a beautiful place is enough for me. In reality, Oblivia should be thanking you two. You saved it twice over. Let me be the first to say thank you on behalf of everyone, and may the rest of your days be filled with the rest you deserve. Farewell, heroes of Oblivia, until we meet again." With that she flew off, trailing a rainbow behind her. Ben and Summer flew down to the new base of the Sky Fortress. Nema and the others were there waiting for them.

"Thanks to Ho-Oh, no tsunami happened," Nema began as she looked around, "but... but... where's Papa?" Pichu's ears twitched, and he looked behind himself.

"Did you hear that?" he asked everyone, getting their attention. "What was that?" The sound occurred again, though this time it was accompanied by a floating purple orb that materialized into existence.

"Is this Mewtwo's attack?" Summer asked in anxiety. It began to fade, but as it did, a person appeared where it used to be and floated down. "Rand!"

"Pa... Papaaaaa!" Nema cried, happy to see her father again. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. He barely managed to catch her, mostly out of surprise.

"Nema! I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm fine now," he said, returning the hug. "Next thing I knew, I was in some really dark place. I got lost, big time, and Mewtwo showed up."

"Mewtwo?"

"Yes. When it reappeared, it cast me and Edward into different portals, and now here I am."

"It's amazing that Mewtwo did that," Summer said.

"Edward must have been sent far, far away," Rand assumed. "I doubt he'll return to Oblivia. After all, there's no reason for him to be here, especially after all he's done."

"Hey Papa, I want to know something. Why did you try to protect that really bad man?" Nema wondered.

"Nema, the truth is... I just don't know. It was one of those things that just happens, and it can't be controlled. Before I knew it, there I was."

"Was it because he was good as a doctor?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe Edward's silent plea for help reached my heart somehow, and as a ranger, I couldn't ignore it."

"That was reckless, Rand," Ben said, "and also a little cool." Nema suddenly turned around and glared at him.

"That wasn't cool!" she shouted unexpectedly, making him recoil in shock. "It's too late for apologies now." Then her glare softened as she smiled. "I'm just kidding!" He sighed in relief.

"That's much better, Nema. You're back to your own self. By the way... how will we get home?"

"The ocean's calm enough for us to swim home," she suggested. "Or maybe Ben and Summer could fly us home." She looked at both Eon pokémon, who did not appear to be in the mood to carry anyone. "Nah, you guys must be tired from all that flying and battling you had to do. I wouldn't want to push you."

"Howwwww... abouuuuut... thissss... !" Everyone looked to the horizon, spotting the Union sailing toward them.

"Murph's voice is surprisingly loud," Pichu commented.

"Yay! It's the Union!" Nema cheered.

"I've come to pick up the Heroes of Oblivia!" Murph announced.

"Wait a minute, that's ship's moving over here too fast," Amun noticed worriedly. Everyone became anxious as the massive wooden ship seemed to be moving too fast for a proper stop. Fortunately, it came to a complete stop before it reached them, and everyone boarded the ship with an unconscious Purple Eyes in tow. Leanne, Booker, and Pichu's pichu friends were also on board.

"Rangers!" the chief of Public Relations began enthusiastically. "I have a report for you! On our way here, I found and safely recovered three people who were clinging to a drifting log. Their names were Arley, Hocus, and, um... Crassa!"

"You mean Kasa, right?" Summer supplied. "I'm glad they're safe."

"They'll be taking a rest in the storehouse with that washed-up Purple Eyes. Since they're all older folks, I took it easy with the ropes."

"That was nice, Murph," Nema complimented.

"Well, I do have my moments. Anyways, Booker's driving skills are really impressive! Just when we were about to crash, he took control and guided the Union safely."

"Well, of course," Booker said proudly. "It's like my own child."

"Children don't always listen to what you tell them to do, though, right?" Rand asked.

"That may be so, but when push comes to shove, they'll come through. Right, Nema?"

"Right, right!" she exclaimed. "But first, who did the most to help everyone?"

"Say it together now, everyone! One, two, three!"

"BEN! SUMMER! PICHU TOO!" everyone cheered. The pokémon smiled from the praise they received.

"Hey, can we wrap this up with a pose?" Murph requested. "Pichu, you handle the ukulele." Ben and Summer put their disguises back on as all the pichu lined themselves up with everyone. Everyone did their signature poses as the pichu danced to the music.

"I'm still rattled by this development, though," Booker said. "Who'd have thought you two were the reincarnation of Latias and Latios? Sure I see ya an' all, but I still don't believe it. I knew there was somethin' special 'bout you two." He walked up to the helm and smiled. "No waves, and the sunset's lookin' mighty fine. Right about now at the port... everyone in Oblivia is lookin' for the heroes' return. I imagine they're sayin', 'Is that them now? How about now?' That said, it's smooth sailing from here. Let's take it nice and slow."

"Let's sing a song on the way!" Murph cheered.


	12. Ben's Confession

Three months passed since the incident in Oblivia. With the crisis in Oblivia resolved, Ben and Summer had headed back to the Ranger Union in Almia to give a full report on everything that happened, including their recent discovery of the region's secret. Needless to say, Professor Hastings and all the other rangers in the area were at a loss at this turn of events. In the meantime, Ben finally confessed to Summer his feelings for her. As they, in their disguises, headed to the Planning Room for a conference with the professor, Summer thought back to that fateful night.

* * *

><p>The sky over Oblivia no longer seemed to have that troubled air the rangers had gotten used to over the course of their stay. In fact, as they flew through the moonlit sky, it seemed very serene, as if it had invited them to partake in its expanse. They left Pichu at Booker's house to be with his friends and their Stylers at Rand's before flying, so now it was just the two of them.<p>

"It feels weird seeing Oblivia like this," Summer said. "I don't mean to say that I miss the crisis, it's just..."

"I know. You're not used to it yet. I'm not either," Ben admitted. "Even though it's only been a few days since we became pokémon, I'm still not completely used to it. I like that I can still eat the things I used to without getting sick or anything, and that my mind is intact, but these sensations I continue to feel are a little nauseating." He suddenly stopped flying, getting her attention.

"Ben? Is there something on your mind?" He paused before taking a deep breath.

"Summer, eventually we'll have to go back to the Ranger Union in Almia. What are we going to tell everyone? More importantly, can we fit back into society again?" She smiled at him.

"It'll be just like before, only on a much larger scale," she responded as she flew to him. "Sure, we'll have to change some things and find a way to explain all this, but the Ranger Union is made of some of the most open-minded people in the world. It's a requirement, actually."

"...All right."

"Ben, I can tell something else is on your mind. You went to all this trouble to make sure we were the only ones in the area. Is there something you want to tell me?" The latios looked away from her when she said that. She could sense how reluctant he was acting, and it was starting to make her anxious. "I promise I'll hear you out," she said in an attempt to reassure him.

"W... well, all right." He sighed before looking at her again. "You remember all that stuff I said about having nightmares about your capture?"

"Yeah... What are you getting at?"

"When... when we battled Mewtwo in the Sky Fortress, I, uh... this isn't easy for me to say."

"It's okay. Take your time." The latias had a feeling as to what he was getting at when she noticed his blush and diverted gaze. She was beginning to blush as well as she stared at him.

"When Mewtwo sent you away with its attack, I realized... I realized something very important."

"What was it?"

"I couldn't go on without you," he said quickly.

"Huh?"

"I could not go on without you," he repeated, feeling slightly less reluctant than before. "When you disappeared, I... was at a loss. When you disappeared, I suddenly lost the will to finish the capture. In fact, I felt like there was no point in continuing my life, and I thought I would never see you again."

"Are... are you saying what I think you're saying?" He took her claws into his own and looked into her eyes. She blushed deeply from how close he had gotten.

"I think I love you, Summer," he confessed. "The nightmares, the loneliness I felt when you were being held prisoner, and the the emptiness I went through in the brief period I thought you were sent to the void... it all makes sense. I love you, without a doubt."

"I... I just don't know what to say, except-" He let go of her claws and turned away from her.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way," he said sadly, expecting rejection, "but I just wanted to-" The latios felt her grab him and turn him around, and before he could say anything, she pulled him into a hug and gave him a quick kiss. "S-Summer?"

"I think my feelings for you came about when you took that attack for me," she admitted, burying herself into his neck. "At the time I felt guilty about the whole thing and only hoped you would be okay. Yet, the more I thought about you, the harder it was for me to only wish for your safety."

"How did you escape the void?"

"Mewtwo must have picked up on my feelings and sent me to Amun in a brief moment of clarity. That's the only theory I could come up with. Regardless, I love you too. I can't imagine going on missions without you, even if we must at times."

"...We should probably get back to the others," Ben suggested after some time. "They must be wondering where we are."

"You worry too much," Summer replied, "but that's what I love about you. Besides, we left our clothes behind on Tilikule Island. We should get those first."

"Now who's worrying too much?" he joked. With that, they broke the embrace and flew, paw-in-paw, into the night.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Summer," Ben and Pichu greeted her once she walked in. She smiled at her love, quickly snapping out of her daydream as she did so.<p>

"Hi, Ben. Hello, Pichu."

"You three look pretty wide eyed and ready to get out there," Hastings acknowledged, smiling at the couple. It reminded him of his own relationship with Erma. "Very good. I'll need you to head out to the Oblivia region once more."

"Is there trouble again?" Summer asked worriedly.

"No, no," he reassured them. "It's good news, in fact. The fact is this: Rand and Leanne finished a research paper as husband and wife. They were invited to a conference in a different region."

"I heard they were working on something big... So that's what it was! It's wonderful that they did that!"

"The title, if I recall correctly, was: The Light and Darkness of the History of People and Pokémon in the Oblivia Region," he said, sounding displeased with how long it was. "They mention your deeds in great detail."

"Really? That's pretty flattering..." Ben admitted sheepishly.

"You should be proud! You've done great things for Oblivia. There is one small problem, however... With Rand away, there won't be any rangers in the region."

"You need us to patrol Oblivia in his stead, right?" Summer wondered.

"Precisely, Summer. Well then, if we're decided, hurry on to Oblivia! Hurry, hurry, hurry!" he exclaimed impatiently.

"He's as impatient as ever..." the trio said to themselves as they ran out the room. After finding a suitable spot away from prying eyes, they changed form, put on their goggles, and sped off as fast as they could.

"I'm glad we're travelling together on this mission," Ben admitted, "even if only one ranger is enough for this."

"I guess we're not considered experienced enough," Summer said. "Oh well. At least I'm with you, Ben." The latias suddenly stopped in mid flight, causing her partner to stop as well. Before he could ask her why she stopped, she switched off their Stylers. "We'll have more time to ourselves." The latias pulled him close and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss as he closed hid eyes. Eventually they broke away with deep blushes adorning their faces.

"Aww, you two make the cutest couple!" Pichu gushed. "I hope I find love like yours one day."

"Thanks, Pichu. Let's hurry to Oblivia and see everyone! Oh, one more thing." She switched their Stylers back on, then sped forward, Ben following immediately after her. Once Oblivia came into view, they landed at Renbow Island by Rand's house. This time they didn't bother to change form as they flew inside slowly.

"Hello!" Ben greeted everyone.

"Hey there!" Rand greeted back with a wave. "How have you been? You two look as great as ever. Pichu, is this your first time back in three months?"

"Yup," Pichu responded with a nod.

"It's nice to see you all are doing well," Summer stated. She then noticed a wrecked Z.Z. Flyer next to Nema. "What are you doing there, Nema?"

"I'm remodeling them to be used to protect peace and order in Oblivia," she responded proudly. "This one is-"

"Nema-Flyer 1!" Leanne interrupted, much to her daughter's annoyance.

"Mom!"

"Well," Rand said, changing the subject, "since you two are here, we should get going. Professor Hastings said the Union can be used for surveying seafaring pokémon, and we'll be riding it to the conference." After he finished, Murph walked into the house, slightly exhausted.

"Hey, it's me, Murph," he said politely. "All of your luggage is packed up and ready to go. We can go at any time." He then looked up, surprised to see the two Eon pokémon again. "Ben? Summer?"

"Hi Murph!" Summer greeted. "Long time no see!"

"It sure has been a while. I don't know if you know this or not, but I've been made responsible for surveying pokémon in the sea."

"Does that mean you'll be here in Oblivia permanently?" Ben wondered.

"I don't mind. In fact, until the professor comes here, I'm in charge of the Union."

"Professor Hastings is coming here?" he asked in surprise.

"Without a doubt. He'll definitely want to investigate the incident here. Once the Wireless Tower was fixed, Rand gave him a full report. He was so shocked, he was speechless, especially when he discreetly mentioned you two."

"He was so amazed," Leanne added, "that he was silent for almost a whole minute! I never thought I'd see the day."

"Anyways, with Professor Hastings's special permission, we're able to have Murph take us to the archaeology conference," Rand explained.

"Right, right! We'd better get going!" Murph exclaimed. He stepped out of the house.

"Thanks in advance, Murph. Nema, take care of the house while we're out."

"Mom, Papa, have a nice trip!" Nema replied. She then got a mischievous smile on her face. "Sometimes you should go out, just the two of you. It'll be like a date!"

"Nema!" Leanne walked out of the house, flustered by her daughter's suggestion.

"Have a nice trip!" Summer said as Rand followed after Leanne.

"I'll bet you're wondering what's been happening in Oblivia since you were gone!" Nema said excitedly. "You know, you two should go out on a date sometime. I'm sure you'd appreciate the privacy, especially with the uproar the Ranger Union must have had over you two." Ben and Summer looked at each other and chuckled, remembering just how speechless Hastings was once he saw for himself what happened to them. "Why not do it while you're on patrol? I'm sure no one would mind." They then blushed as they entertained the notion of being on an actual date for the first time.

"W-well..." they began.

"So it's decided then! You should try Sophian Island's Aqua Resort since it's so quiet there. You should come back later. I'm working on two things I'm sure you'd really enjoy. Pichu, would you like to help me?" Pichu nodded and jumped off Ben's back to land on the table.

"Have fun!" he said to the retreating Eon pokémon.

* * *

><p><strong>I want to get a few things out of the way. First, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed it; I know I had fun writing it.<strong>

**Lastly, here's a little useless trivia: This entire story was actually _hand written_ last summer while I was at work. I did some research on the plot due to not remembering it completely. I spent several days typing and saving it to my computer. I still have the full, unedited version of the story on my computer.**

**-Revising the entire story was actually a puzzle I created for myself. I had to add, remove, and relocate most of the words on my way to the bottom of the documents.**

**-I listened to various music as I wrote this story. It influenced some of the writing, here and there.**

**Anyway, this is not a warning that updates will slow down or that I'm slowly losing interest. I just wanted to take the time to thank you all very much.**


	13. The Persistence of the Golden Armor

The flight to Sophian Island was mostly uneventful, save a few straggling Pinchers who got overconfident. There was one thing that slightly disturbed them, however: there were no pokémon flying for miles around. Summer was the first to point this out.

"Perhaps they're roosting somewhere," Ben suggested. "It might not be anything to worry about."

"I guess... but it still feels like something is off," Summer replied.

"We'll ask around on the island. Maybe Supurna knows something." Once they landed on the island docks, they changed form to avoid upsetting the elderly inhabitants and walked around. "This place really is quiet. No one's come shouting for us since we-"

"Oh, rangers! There you are!" they heard the bird pokémon watcher shout. Summer giggled quietly as Ben muttered something incoherent, then turned to face her.

"What's up, Supurna?"

"Oh, I'm really glad you remember me," she replied, smiling. "It's been a long while. I'm sorry to be abrupt, but I have an urgent question for you."

"What could be wrong?" Summer asked.

"Do you notice anything... off... when you look up at the sky?" Both rangers looked up at the sky. Summer sighed.

"It's just like I thought. Something really was off," she said. She then gasped in shock as she saw what looked to be Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno flying high in the sky.

"What are they doing flying around?" Ben wondered, worried about this. "They look upset. What could be causing this?"

"I'm not sure, but the bird pokémon have flown away in fear. Can you somehow capture Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno so that Oblivia's bird pokémon can return? I'm really worried."

"You can count on us!" Ben declared, giving his version of the "thumbs-up" sign. They headed into the forest to change forms and flew into the sky once more.

* * *

><p>"This is strange. With the Golden Armor gone, they shouldn't be affected by it anymore," Summer said. "And yet... I can still feel its presence."<p>

"It just doesn't add up," Ben agreed, "and I'm not too sure about the sky being so quiet."

"Hey, you two! It's been a while!" someone shouted from behind them. They quickly turned around, surprised by the loud person.

"Red Eyes!" they cried. Red Eyes soon appeared just as bewildered as they were due to being able to understand them. The shock threatened to throw him off his Z.Z. Flyer, but he quickly regained balance and composed himself.

"So the rumors are true. You two have changed a lot since we last met," the teen said. "Your voices still sound the same, I see, if only a little higher in pitch."

"You're not up to anything bad, are you?" Summer wondered. At this he smiled coyly.

"I'll leave that up to you to decide. I doubt anyone can capture you two, though." He took on a more serious expression. "Anyways, enough joking. What's going on up here? I don't see any pokémon up here except for the legendary birds. It's rather lonely."

"They're afraid of Moltres and the others and have gone into hiding," Ben explained. "We're looking into the matter now."

"I see. So that's why. Thanks for the info!" With that, he sped off before either Eon pokémon could question him further.

"Ugh, he could at least have told us where they are," Summer muttered in annoyance.

"Looks like we have no other choice but to search for them ourselves," Ben said. "Look, there's Moltres over there!" He pointed a claw at the distant firebird and sped off towards it, Summer not too far behind. "Moltres! What's going on?" Moltres only flapped its flaming wings harder in an unsuccessful attempt to outspeed the duo.

"The flying's awfully erratic," Summer noted. At that point Moltres dipped into the clouds, disappearing from view.

"Moltres is heading this way," their Stylers alerted them. They nimbly dodged Moltres as it barreled towards them. It looked like a second attempt was unlikely. "Moltres is now heading for Faldera Volcano."

"I wonder what's happening..." Ben said. "Maybe we should chase after the others, and see if they'll tell us anything." They followed his suggestion, only to get similar results. When they caught up to one of the legendary birds, said pokémon would dive into the clouds, then dart past them to their respective homes.

"It looks like we'll have to confront them at their homes. Let's start with Moltres," Summer suggested. As they sped toward Faldera Volcano, they saw an unusual amount of smoke coming from the base and decided to investigate. They cleared the smoke with their psychic abilities.

"Boy, it feels hotter than usual," Summer panted wearily.

"I agree. Something's just not right around here," Ben said. Just then, a magmortar and two weezing approached them, appearing heavily bothered by the conditions.

"They may be pokémon suited for this climate," Summer noticed, "but I guess even they can't stand this heat. We'll have to capture them." They made short work of the three pokémon and sent them away. "They're probably upset like Moltres was. We'd better hurry." With that, they flew to the top, taking extra care to dodge any fireballs sent their way from the angry pokémon. In moments, the duo found Moltres hovering frantically near what looked like a piece of the Golden Armor- the left gauntlet, to be specific.

"Golden Armor in a place like this?!" Ben asked, shocked to find the artifact here. "So this is where it disappeared to!"

"Get away!" Moltres screeched fearfully. Suddenly, a black aura formed around it as the gauntlet levitated. It latched onto the firebird by its neck as its eyes dimmed. "Ack! NO!"

"The armor appears to be controlling Moltres," the Styler analyzed. "Please use caution." Moltres flew a little higher, cloaked itself in flames, then dived towards the duo.

"Look out!" they cried as they flew away, barely dodging the attack.

"Summer, it looks like that flame shield won't let us get too close. I'll try to take it down with my power," Ben said. He cloaked the Styler in blue energy and fired its capture disc. He looped it around the pokémon five times before the line was broken by a Flamethrower. He glared at the shield, which seemed unfazed by his efforts.

"Hold on, Ben. I'll be back," Summer stated. Ben nodded as she flew off and focused on capturing the possessed Moltres. This time he shot a Heal Pulse to distract it before charging and firing the glowing disc once more. The move caught Moltres by surprise, allowing him to trail the disc around it eleven more times before he was forced to retract it. Before Moltres could launch a Fire Blast at him, it was suddenly struck with a large volume of water.

"Now!" the latias cried. Both Eon pokémon fired their Stylers at the stunned Moltres and drew as many loops as they could until the black aura it had was dispersed. Its eyes regained their luster as the gauntlet released its wing and fell to the rocky ground.

"Moltres has calmed down," Ben's Styler announced, "and is no longer a threat." Moltres shook itself, scattering embers everywhere, and landed on its perch.

"Ugh, what an ordeal," the firebird groaned. "Am I finally free from this wretched thing?" Ben and Summer looked at the gauntlet.

"Could this be the reason why you went crazy?" Summer asked, picking it up. It seemed to be completely inactive.

"This thing has been causing me grief ever since it showed up here. When I first saw it all those years ago, I wanted to destroy it immediately, but Ho-Oh said that would simply cause a much worse problem," Moltres explained tiredly. "Not that I didn't try anyway. It's tough!"

"Well, don't worry. We'll see to its disposal," Ben assured it. He took the dulled gauntlet away from Moltres's roost, eliciting a sigh of relief from the firebird.

"Good riddance. Thanks for your help. You'll help out my siblings, right?"

"Of course." Relieved, Moltres sat on its roost and quickly dozed off. Clutching the gauntlet tightly, they headed for Layuda Mountain.

* * *

><p>They settled near the pile of wrecked Z.Z. Flyers and placed the disabled gauntlet underneath it, figuring no one would try and touch it. To their surprise, they found Luxray and Electivire standing just outside the mountain's cave.<p>

"Hey, you two," she greeted them. Luxray's jaw dropped upon seeing them.

"Is this for real?" he asked his partner, who was just as shocked as he was. "Pinch me, I must be dreaming... Yow! I didn't mean that literally!" he snarled.

"It was not I," he replied, looking away. Summer chuckled silently at the bickering duo.

"Is something wrong?" she asked them, interrupting their argument. "The atmosphere feels different somehow."

"W-well, yes," Luxray hastily replied, taking a moment to get his nerves back. "It looks like everyone has lost their minds."

"They do not seem to recognize us ever since Lord Zapdos returned," Electivire explained. "We would have gone to see him to find out what happened, but our friends keep repelling us."

"Hmm... it might be better for us to fly to the top, then. Would you be willing to help us one more time?" Ben requested.

"Anything to get things back under control." The latios's eyes glowed as he used Psychic to hold Electivire. "Whoa, what's going on?"

"We can take you to him. With your help, we should be able to calm him down and remove the Golden Armor's influence on him, especially since you two are the only ones who are still calm."

"But I thought that thing disappeared like Lord Zapdos said! It showed up here?!" Luxray questioned, bewildered by the information. He soon found himself levitated by Summer, but unlike Electivire, he remained calm.

"Yes," the latias answered. "Moltres just went through the same thing and we suspect that Articuno is going through this as well. Let's hurry." Upon safely ascending to the top, they found Zapdos hovering near another of the Golden Armor's gauntlets. "It's just like we thought."

"Leave!" the thunderbird bellowed angrily at the quartet. Luxray and Electivire flinched at the command but stayed strong. The same black aura as before surrounded him as the gauntlet glowed. It latched onto his talons, draining the light from his eyes. "Save yourselves!"

"We'll need to get that gauntlet away from him. It's the only way we'll be able to save him," Summer explained. "We'll distract him while you two remove that armor." Luxray and Electivire landed on the ground and glared at the gauntlet possessing their lord.

"Don't touch that armor," Ben warned them as he readied his Styler, "or you'll be possessed too." He fired the capture disc, intentionally letting it touch Zapdos. The thunderbird ascended higher and flapped his wings at them, shooting an electric arrow at him. Ben shook it off with ease thanks to his typing and the Styler's energy.

"Ben, be careful! Your Styler's energy is in the yellow!" Summer cried. She shot a Mist Ball at Zapdos, hitting him directly in the back with it. She then fired her own capture disc at the stunned bird, getting seven loops in before he retaliated with Thunder. Ben tackled him, knocking him away several feet and suffering a minor electric shock in the process.

"Summer, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Look, Zapdos's aura is fading!" She pointed a claw at the now-transparent black aura surrounding Zapdos. Ben looked to Luxray and Electivire, noticing that the armor piece was no longer present.

"We knocked it off. It's on the cliff below here," Electivire spoke before Ben could ask his question. He then jumped at Zapdos and hit him with an Ice Punch, sending him crashing into the ground. "I'm sorry, my lord." The rangers took this opportunity to loop their discs around him once more. Once the aura disappeared, they fired a Heal Pulse, undoing the damage he had taken. Zapdos shook off the ice and groaned as he stood up.

"Ugh, my head... I wish I could rub it. Thanks for getting that dreadful thing away from me," he thanked. He then looked at Luxray and Electivire. "You two! You've done more for me than anyone else living here has. I would like to make you my new envoys."

"R-r-really?!" they gasped, flabbergasted by this news. "Wow, what an honor..."

"As for you two," Zapdos said, regarding Ben and Summer, "keep up the good work." Ben went to grab the disabled gauntlet as Summer flew next to Electivire and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Unlike his partner before him, who glared at him out of mild jealousy, Electivire simply smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks for your help." After grabbing the other gauntlet, they headed to Articuno's home on the top of Sorbet Mountain.

* * *

><p>"It feels a little colder than usual. I'm surprised these scarves are still able to keep us warm," Ben observed.<p>

"Well, every bit of our clothes were made to allow for survival in all climates," Summer said. "It also helps that we have this down on our bodies. If that isn't enough, our Stylers help protect us from all sorts of elemental conditions, but we'll need to move quickly." They soon spotted Articuno, who happened to be standing far away from the Golden Armor torso that lied in her roost. The icebird soon spotted the dragons flying towards her and smiled.

"Oh, hello. I understand you are here to take that thing away from me," Articuno said. "I have taken the liberty of freezing it the first chance I had. There is no way I would let myself fall to its power once more, though I could not shake the storm frenzy it threw me into." Both dragons smiled back.

"That was a brilliant move, Articuno," Ben complimented. Summer looped her capture disc around the ice block, causing the black aura surrounding it to disintegrate. She then smashed the block and secured the disabled armor.

"Well, I do have my moments," she said modestly. "I take it you have all the armor pieces now?"

"The ones that affected Moltres and Zapdos are in our possession, but we still need to find the shoulders and helmet."

"Hmm... well, as long as my siblings are safe, I will not be worried. The last pieces should turn up eventually. And look, the other pokémon are flying again. Thanks for helping us all out." Ben and Summer nodded, then headed back to Sophian Island's port to tell Supurna the good news.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for all your help, rangers!" Supurna thanked. "I'm so glad to see my bird pokémon friends roaming the skies once more."<p>

"No problem, Supurna," Ben replied. "We've got three of the four armor pieces, but everyone's safe for the moment. It's currently inactive, but who knows when it'll cause trouble again."

"When Rand comes back, I'd like to at least tell him about your great exploits. Again, thank you very much. It's a Mission Clear!" At that point, Summer's Styler started vibrating.

"It looks like I have a voicemail," Summer said. "Who could have sent it?" She opened her mail and tapped the message.

"Ummm... is it this button?" the voice said, confused for some reason. "Testing, testing, can you hear me? It's me. Red Eyes." Ben and Summer widened their eyes in surprise. "I watched you guys capture the legendary pokémon from afar. Very impressive, rangers. I have something I want to show you. Meet me at the base of Mount Sorbet. Umm, how do you turn this thing off? Oh, is this it?" The transmission ended. Ben and Summer laughed briefly at Red Eyes's surprising ineptitude with whatever communicator he was using.

"I wonder what he wants to show us. I doubt it'll be a trap," Summer said.

"It's far too late for traps anyway. Let's go see him."

After going through the short cavern and shedding their disguises again, they found Red Eyes, his Z.Z. Flyer, and a blaziken near a wall. Oddly enough, the blaziken did not appear to be under any sort of control. In fact, it looked as though it was with him by choice.

"What is it, Red Eyes?" Ben asked him. "Why call us out here?"

"I've been waiting, rangers!" he greeted them. "I want a two-on-one battle!"

"What?"

"...I'm just kidding. The truth is, I've also been wondering about those three legendary pokémon. I did terrible things to them, so I owe them a debt," Red Eyes confessed. "I thought I should do something when I saw them in that really agitated state."

"Red Eyes..." Summer said in admiration. "I didn't know you cared about pokémon."

"I have more to say. I searched the area they were flying around, and that's when I found this helmet." He stepped to the side, revealing the helmet part of the Golden Armor. The shoulders were bound to it.

"Why, that's the last piece of the Golden Armor!" Ben exclaimed.

"So there's more pieces..."

"We stored the other pieces elsewhere. They were in the legendary birds' nests."

"Even with the Evil Ruler gone, they were still affected by the armor's power..." Summer trailed off.

"I'll say this to defend their honor. I believe they were fighting the evil power, not submitting to it," Red Eyes stated.

"You might be right," she noted, recalling their encounters. "They only went back to their nests after loosening some of the power trying to control them."

"And then they waited for you to come and take the armor away," he added.

"You might be exactly right, Red Eyes," Ben said. "We'll take the armor back to the Ranger Union, so don't worry."

"I'd be grateful if you did... Well, this is a little abrupt, but... how about we put a price on this golden treasure?" Both Eon pokémon nearly face-faulted in disbelief.

"What?! You plan to sell us that helmet?!" Ben shouted, stumped by the teen's sudden change in behavior.

"Well, of course. I'm no hipster," he replied gleefully.

"And here I was foolish enough to be moved!" Summer exclaimed, outraged and ashamed by him. Both Eon pokémon sighed in disappointment.

"Don't be so glum. Think on it... and in the meantime, let's have a fair fight, for old times's sake! Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!" Blaziken stepped forward and launched a flaming kick at the duo. They were caught off guard as the kick slammed into their sides and sent them flying a good few feet. They looked at each other and nodded as they floated back upwards. Ben cloaked his body in harsh light and flew at the blaziken. "Knock him back with Flamethrower!" The flames hit him, but did not stop him thanks to the Styler absorbing the energy. The latios released his Luster Purge attack once he was close enough, dazing both Red Eyes and Blaziken for a short time He took the opportunity to loop his capture disc around his foe thirteen times.

"What's going on?" he wondered, trying to see through the harsh light. "Whatever it is, Blaziken, use Overheat!" The blinded pokémon charged a large fireball that instantly turned the ice into water vapor before firing it at what it hoped was a foe. Ben withdrew his capture disc just in time.

"Not so fast!" Summer cried. The latias quickly fired a Mist Ball at the fireball, destroying it in an instant. The remnants of the attack scattered all over Red Eyes and Blaziken, scattering a light red mist everywhere and allowing her to use her Styler on his pokémon.

"Return!" He pulled out a poké ball and recalled his pokémon once it became clear that it would not battle anymore. He sighed, then smiled. "I'm not too shocked I lost to you two anymore," he said good-naturedly. Maybe it's because you're legendary pokémon now...? Anyways, I concede. I have one last thing to say: I'm not using a Control Gauntlet anymore. You can count on that. Oh, and I have no intent on trying to catch you."

"Hey, Red Eyes..." Summer spoke reluctantly, not really wanting to have this conversation. "About the money for the armor... we'll talk to the Union. Can you give us a little time?"

"Heh heh... You thought I was serious? I was just joking. I just wanted one more heated battle. As long as you dispose of this, that's all I care about." He then stepped aside, revealing the helmet once more, and jumped on his Z.Z. Flyer. "Ben! Summer! I hope we meet again somewhere! Give my regards to that Pichu with the ukulele."

"You really have changed, have you, Red Eyes?" Summer said. "I take back everything I said about you."

"Aww, don't get all soppy on me now, Heroes of Oblivia... even if it does make both of you look cute." Red Eyes muttered the last part before zooming away to who knows where. Both dragons looked at the teen's disappearing figure before gazing at the helmet and shoulders that lied on the ground. They appeared to be completely powerless.

"...He wasn't all bad, I guess," Ben said after a moment of silence. "Maybe we can meet him again someday. Still, when you think about it, this Golden Armor was the source of everything bad in Oblivia, and now that it's out of power..." he trailed off. A moment later, Ben's Styler rang, and she answered it.

"Hello! Can you hear me? It's me, it's me!" Professor Hastings's voice impatiently erupted from the Styler. "If you can hear me, would you just respond!"

"We hear you loud and clear, Professor Hastings!" Ben spoke.

"I couldn't use the Union, so I rode a bird pokémon while clinging to a ranger name Wendy and came to Oblivia!" the professor continued. "This flying this is really not my style..."

"What? Wow... Where are you now, sir?" Summer inquired.

"Rand's house. A lady named Supurna visited, and I heard from her about what happened."

"We took care of that. Also, we found out what caused the legendary birds to be so frustrated. It was the Golden Armor pieces and the evil power they contained. It's been disabled thanks to our Stylers, and we have all the pieces. The last one was given to us by a former foe."

"Former enemy, you say? Hurry over here and fill me in!" Once they secured every piece in their possession, they sped over to Rand's house.

* * *

><p>"...I see. So that's the reason," Hastings said once he was briefed. He looked at the armor pieces on the table curiously.<p>

"We should smash it into a billion pieces!" Nema suggested, rightfully unhappy about the artifacts.

"Now, now. We can't do that just yet. We'll need to do some research first at the Ranger Union. Until then, it needs to be put somewhere safe."

"I've got it! Let's put it in my special safe. It'll be safe for sure." She grabbed a gauntlet and walked into her invention room. "It's this way."

"...I'm not too sure about the name on it, but it will do."

"Alright, everyone. Grab a piece and move it in here."

"I'm still tired from the trip," Hastings groaned.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" This time the impatient professor couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the scenario. Everyone grabbed a piece and moved it into the safe.

* * *

><p>Days later, the professor walked into Rand's house accompanied by the Eon pokémon and Pichu.<p>

"Oh, hello everyone! Welcome back!" Nema greeted them.

"Hello, Nema. They showed me around the Oblivia Ruins. Now I know about nearly every place related to that incident," Hastings explained. "I'm still reeling a little from the flight, to be honest."

"Thanks for coming along, sir," Ben said. "Now we just need to wait for the Union to return."

"Well, there's actually one more place I want to visit. I can't go home just yet. I'll explain later." Just then there was a knock on the door. Rand, Leanne, and Murph walked in.

"Welcome home, Mom and Papa!" Nema greeted them.

"Thanks for watching the house, Nema," Leanne said.

"Ben and Summer, I'm sure you've been busy," Rand stated. "Thanks for your hard work. Welcome, Professor Hastings. I'm glad to see you're well. I'm not sure if I should be the one to say this," he said with a smile, "but the paper was really well received."

"I'm sure it was! A professional archaeologist and a pokémon professional did their best to write that paper, after all. You and your wife worked really hard."

"I heard about it all via wireless, but still... I'm amazed the Golden Armor pieces appeared where they did."

"Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence," the professor proposed. "It may have chosen a safe place to wait for the next Evil Ruler to appear sometime in the future. It tried to make Moltres and the others protect it, but they resisted mightily to keep that from happening."

"That makes a lot of sense," Leanne said.

"Those three and these two rangers may have just saved Oblivia's future," he commended.

"Wow, I've got goosebumps!" Murph exclaimed. "That's pretty exciting!"

"I want to hear about your trip next, Mom and Papa," Nema said excitedly. "I'll pour some tea for everyone!" She and her mother immediately went to work to prepare the tea.

"Well... Ummm... I can't think of anything to do, so how about a cool pose?" Murph said before doing his signature dance-like pose. The professor chuckled slightly.

"Murph, you're the same as ever." He then looked at the two Eon pokémon. "By the way, as for what you need to do now, you should go on patrol and tend to the requests of the citizens here in Oblivia."

"Professor Hastings has been saying he'd like to give you two a vacation as a reward for all of your hard work," Murph added. "A little relaxing is good, too." Ben and Summer beamed at the professor.

"Murph, you say this, but you're probably tired of relaxing, right? You can go back early in a little boat if you want." Murph visibly tensed at this.

"Professor Hastings, you're picking on me!" Murph complained, eliciting a laugh from everyone.


	14. Trouble in the Eastern Sea

A day later, the trio stopped by Rand's house to check on him and his family. To their surprise, they found two Pinchers speaking to the elder ranger. It seemed the organization had dissolved but still existed in very small parts. They sensed that they were very afraid.

"We beg of you! Please help us!" the male Pincher pleaded.

"You might think we have a lot of nerve asking a ranger for help after all we've done, but... please! You have to help us!" the female Pincher added.

"Forget the past," Rand responded. "Saving the life of your leader, Blue Eyes, is the most important thing right now."

"Exactly," Hastings agreed. "Leave it to us."

"Th-thank you so much!" they said gratefully.

"Hurry, Rand, and save Blue Eyes... Eh? Why if it isn't Ben and Summer! What brings you here?" he asked them. The Pinchers looked at who came in and jumped with fright upon seeing a latias and latios in front of them.

"Oh no! Pl-please forgive us!" they begged timidly, confusing the two Eon pokémon.

"Your habit of wanting to run at the sight of a ranger hasn't changed one bit, I see," Rand mused.

"T-they're... rangers now?!"

"Now, now. We need you to stay calm. You have nothing to hide, right?" Hastings asked them. They took a very deep breath.

"Oh yeah. Now that you mention it, that's right. This morning a bunch of us former Pinchers were diving in the Undersea Cavern, looking for treasure..."

"Treasure?" Rand wondered, to which the female Pincher was quick to correct her partner.

"Uh, no, we mean pokémon as beautiful as treasures," she hastily replied.

"Yeah, that's it! We were observing pokémon as beautiful as treasures," the male Pincher agreed.

"So you observe pokémon then?" the professor questioned.

"Th-that's right. That's our new hobby." He took a moment to steel himself again, then continued. "While we were focusing on observing, we lost sight of our leader at some point..."

"We split up and somehow managed to find her, but... she was trapped between some rocks deep in a cave!" his partner wailed. "The current there is too strong, and we can't reach her in order to help!" Both of them then turned to face the Eon pokémon pleadingly.

"And so you amazingly talented and adorable rangers! You are younger, so we have high expectations for you! Could you please save our leader somehow?"

"Hey! Show a little respect!" Rand demanded, frowning at the (likely unintentional) remark. The Pinchers hastily apologized to the ranger.

"Rand, let's just leave this to Ben and Summer," Hastings whispered. Rand agreed somewhat reluctantly.

"In order to save our leader, we have to move heavy rocks and get through a very fast current," the male Pincher explained. "With our abilities alone, there wasn't a thing we could do."

"Also, our leader's air tank is less than half-full!" the female Pincher added. This fact sent a great sense of urgency through everyone present.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Hastings cried. "That's enough explanation! There's no time to lose! Ben! Summer! It's an emergency! Head out to the Eastern Sea and rescue Blue Eyes! We'll send Murph after you on the Union." The dragons nodded and flew out, immediately heading for the location as soon as possible. Once there, they put on their goggles and dived into the ocean. They used their psychic powers to create a breathable environment for themselves. Before the duo could go further, they received an alert from their Stylers.

"Picking up a metal object from the Undersea Cavern," the Styler said. "It is highly probable that is from a Pincher's Z.Z. Flyer. There is also a signal from a deep area that was not accessible earlier."

"Blue Eyes must be in there," Ben said to Summer. "We better hurry."

"The tidal currents are chaotic," the Styler continued. "This is not a natural flow. Proceed with caution."

"I hope they didn't disturb any pokémon with their exploring," Summer worried. "It doesn't seem like they would, though, with everything that's happened." They swam into the cavern and made their way to the hot air vents. A Pincher floated near the vents, worry evident on his face.

"Where are those two who went to ask the pokémon rangers for help?" he muttered. "I told them they shouldn't go, because there's no way the rangers would help!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Ben said, startling the Pincher so much that he lost his grip on his Z.Z. Flyer and his rebreather. He took one glance at the Eon duo and panicked even more. The poor Pincher struggled to regain control of his items, but the adrenaline rush he experienced made him unstable, and he fainted, having failed to get his bearings fast enough. "Oh no!" Thinking quickly, Ben constructed a blue psychic bubble around him, filtering the water out of it and ensuring the man could still breathe. He sent it to the surface, knowing Murph and the others would see to his safety.

"Maybe we should try not to use telepathy on anyone else in this situation," Summer suggested. "They're nervous wrecks as it is." The latios nodded as they continued further into the cavern. Another Pincher, accompanied by two kingdra, floated before them on his Z.Z. Flyer. He looked around before spotting them, and in a fit of panic, he commanded the kingdra to attack them. He was surprised, however, when they backed away instead of lunging at them.

"...Huh?" At this point he took his time to think about the oddly dressed latias and latios in front of him. "What's with the gear?" Once he noticed the stylers, he became alarmed. "Wait a minute... you're not here to take us out?" He received a nod from the dragons in reply. "Oh no! I jumped the gun! I'm sorry! Our leader is farther in, but there's an enraged pokémon going wild in there. I couldn't even get close," the Pincher lamented. All of a sudden a loud cry rang out that seemed to vibrate the entire cavern and made everyone flinch. "P-please save her!" Panicking, he flew past them and headed for the surface.

"I don't blame him. That sounded pretty bad," Ben admitted, feeling a little nervous. "But we must press on."

"Blue Eyes could die if we get cold feet now," Summer said. They captured a lanturn, then descended into the darkest part of the cavern, being sure to avoid any red lights they saw. Suddenly the entire cavern rumbled once more, though there was no cry accompanying it this time.

"Danger! Danger!" their Stylers alerted. "There is an unnatural disruption in the flow of the tide!" They sensed a large presence shoot past them, and despite the light they had, they were unable to determine what it was. "That pokémon is extraordinarily agitated." Ben and Summer held claws as they proceeded. Before long, another Pincher had flown out of where they had to go. Upon seeing the Eon duo, he began to panic, but Summer trapped him in a psychic bubble before he could take off.

"Relax. We're not here to arrest you," Summer reassured as carefully as she could. "We have come to save Blue Eyes."

"Really?" The Pincher calmed down almost immediately upon hearing that. "I owe you a sincere apology. Please save our leader! There's only a little bit of air left in her tank. Somehow, somehow... save her!" he pleaded. He flew up to the surface, ashamed that he could do no more for Blue Eyes. With increased urgency, the Eon duo pushed through the cavern's unusual currents and arrived in an even darker part of the cavern. They could barely make out the sound of someone, most likely Blue Eyes, struggling to breathe what little air they had left.

"It... it's getting harder to breathe," they heard Blue Eyes strain to say, regret evident in her weakened voice. "This might be the end. Thought I would repay some of the bad deeds I've done, but..." She paused to take another pained breath before continuing sadly. "Looks like it's just too late..." Ben and Summer, accompanied by their lanturn friend, flew into the ex-Pincher's line of sight and nearly gasped when they saw her. She was trapped under a rock and had a few cuts along her body, including a small gash on her left cheek. She gazed at them through dulling, half-lidded eyes and chuckled weakly. "Now I'm seeing a mirage of an oddly dressed latias and latios. This really must be the end for Blue Eyes."

"Blue Eyes, hang in there!" Summer cried. The telepathy didn't seem to draw out a reaction from the drowning ex-Pincher. Both of them moved closer to her.

"We're not illusions," Ben said.

"You know, for a mirage... you seem pretty substantial," she stated. She made one more gasp for air before passing out briefly.

"Perhaps you can create a safe veil around her," the Styler suggested. Both Eon pokémon immediately moved closer and held their paws to her face. She immediately shot up in surprise as they used their psychic abilities.

"What are you doing, mirages?! Stop...! A-Air!" Blue Eyes gasped in shock, then gasped again when she realized the action had not caused her to drown. "I-I can... breathe!" Relieved, they backed away as her vision cleared up. "You two aren't mirages? You're the real deal? I haven't gone into shock?"

"As clear as day, Blue Eyes," Summer replied. This time the telepathy startled her, but she was quick to recover.

"That voice... but how? More importantly, you two came all this way to... save me?"

"We're rangers. It's what we do," Ben said proudly. Both Eon pokémon lifted the rock off of her, allowing her and her vehicle to move again. It was then that they noticed a rather curious object next to her, one that looked a lot like the Rainbow Grail. Blue Eyes explained that it was the treasure she and the other Pinchers found.

"My followers did everything they could, including swallowing their pride and going to the rangers, to help me? ...I'm glad I have such loyal people on my side." As soon as she floated upright on her Z.Z. Flyer, the Eon pokémon nuzzled her, glad they were able to save her life once more. She petted them in heartfelt gratitude.

"They did nothing wrong," she continued. "The only one who can't fly straight, then... it's me, Blue Eyes."

"Please return to the surface," the rangers' Stylers announced. "The risk of trouble is far too great."

"That's enough talking. Let's get out of here." As Blue Eyes flew, Ben, Summer, and their lanturn trailed after her. She came to a stop at some point. "This isn't a natural tide flow, is it?"

"I'm afraid not," Ben replied. "There's-" He was interrupted by yet another loud cry. The source seemed to be distant this time.

"What was that?! I don't know why, but it's so angry that it's shaking up the flow of the water."

"I'd rather not find out," Summer said. "We'd better move as quickly as possible." Before long, they ascended into the brighter part of the cavern, and they released their lanturn friend. Another cry echoed throughout the Undersea Cavern, sounding slightly closer this time.

"No matter how good you are, calming that thing might be too much for you," Blue Eyes said, "especially in the middle of the ocean!"

"Then we'll have to get above the water," Ben responded. "At least then we'll have a chance."

"Until then, we'll just watch the water flow," Summer added. The trio quickly exited the Undersea Cavern and saw the sun and the Union just above the surface.

"Just a little further!" Blue Eyes exclaimed. This time the cry of the agitated pokémon sounded closer than any other encounter, causing the water to vibrate. They quickly headed to the surface and boarded the Union. Among the people waiting were the Pinchers they encountered, Murph, and Pichu."It's coming! Everyone! Grab on to something!" Ben and Summer were the only ones who didn't have to do that thanks to their levitation. The boat shook with the water, and everyone looked toward the mast in confusion. Suddenly, Lugia burst out of the water and roared, scattering water everywhere and knocking nearly everyone off their feet.

"Ready, Ben?" Summer charged up her Styler's capture disc and cloaked it in red light. Ben nodded and followed suit, covering his disc in blue light. Pichu pointed his ukulele at Lugia and played it while firing a Thundershock at it. The attack did not seem to faze the Diving pokémon, who retaliated with one flap of its wings, sending Pichu a few feet away. The Eon pokémon fired their discs at it. Lugia put up its wings, expecting an attack, and the rangers took the opportunity to loop their discs around it twelve times. Upon realizing there was no attack coming its way, it put down its wings and opened its mouth, gathering energy.

"Look out, everyone!" Blue Eyes warned. It closed its mouth for a moment before opening it back up and flapping its wings to unleash its signature Aeroblast attack. What appeared instead was a small flash of light that temporarily blinded everyone, much to Lugia's surprise.

Ben and Summer took advantage of the confusion to encircle Lugia, calming it more and more with each loop. Before they could complete one more loop, however, Lugia swung both its wings forward. This sent a large wave of wind toward everyone on the Union and caused the ship to rock uncontrollably as a storm began to form. It surrounded itself with a barrier, deciding to let the storm do the work.

"What do we do?" one of the Pinchers questioned in a fit of worry. She, along with everyone else, struggled to stand on the now-unstable ship.

"We calm down first, then try to keep the ship stable," Blue Eyes commanded, slightly anxious herself. Her followers scrambled to follow her order as best as they could.

"This looks bad," Murph said, getting her attention. "Lugia's put up some sort of barrier around itself, one that's keeping Ben and Summer from getting close." She noticed that the rangers were currently flying around it, most likely attempting to find some way to get through.

"Judging from what should have been an Aeroblast attack," she analyzed, "they somehow managed to reduce its power. The shield it put up will block anything they throw at it... Unless..." Blue Eyes boarded her Z.Z. Flyer and turned it on.

"L-Leader! What are you doing?" one of her subordinates cried. "It's too dangerous!"

"Has she lost it?" Murph and Pichu wondered.

"Just follow my lead!" she ordered. The rangers stopped flying, wondering what the ex-Pincher had in mind. She flew close to the shielded Lugia and stuck out her left hand. In an instant, everyone saw a small purple beam shoot out of her hand and make contact with Lugia.

"A Control Gauntlet!" Ben exclaimed.

"Why do you still have one? Do all of you have one?" Summer wondered anxiously, glaring at the device.

"We only use them to calm pokémon, not enslave them. Regrettably, there are still people who use them for their intended purposes... those scoundrel," Blue Eyes said to the latias, muttering the last part. "The ones we have were modified to keep aggressive pokémon at bay. Maybe we can use them to break through." The other ex-Pinchers caught on to their leader's plan and followed suit, aiming their gauntlets at her target. Their efforts were rewarded by a small crack in the shield, and eventually, its collapse. "Now's your chance, rangers!"

"Right!" They looped their capture discs around the exposed and drained Lugia once more and withdrew them the moment the sky began to clear. It now hovered before everyone steadily, having been becalmed by their efforts. It smiled at the two rangers before diving back into the sea. The rangers and ex-Pinchers landed on the Union once more, a little shaken from the ordeal but overall relieved it had come to an end.

"Is Lugia okay now? Is it still angry?" Murph wondered.

"Managing to calm down Lugia like that... You two are amazing," Blue Eyes complimented. "Still, I would never have thought you two were really legendary pokémon. It's incredible." Her followers shared in her sentiments, praising them for their skills and new form.

"Blue Eyes, you might be selling yourself short here. Your idea helped save everyone too."

"Right!" They looped their Capture Discs around the exposed and drained Lugia once more and withdrew them the moment the sky began to clear. It now hovered before everyone steadily, having been calmed by their efforts. It smiled at the two rangers before diving back into the sea. The rangers and ex-Pinchers landed on the Union once more, a little shaken from the ordeal but overall relieved it had come to an end.

"Is Lugia okay now? Is it still angry?" Murph wondered.

"Managing to calm down Lugia like that, and put a stop to the storm... You two are amazing," Blue Eyes complimented. "Still, I would never have thought you two were really legendary pokémon. It's incredible." Her followers shared in her sentiments, praising them for their skills and new form.

"Blue Eyes, you might be selling yourself short here. Your idea helped save everyone too."

"Thanks... Lugia was probably trying to protect this treasure..." She pulled out what looked to be the Rainbow Grail from a compartment in her vehicle and set it down on the floor, already lamenting removing the item in the first place.

"Hmm... I suspect it might be something else..."

"At any rate, this happened because of us. We're really sorry, leader!" one of the ex-Pinchers apologized.

"We're very, very sorry leader!" another added. Their leader appeared flustered.

"Wh-what are you apologizing for? Knock it off. I don't know what you're talking about." Blue Eyes then turned to Murph. "M-Murph... We're really tired. Can you get the ship to a port? Please hurry," she requested, feeling guilty about the whole experience.

"No problem." The pokémon rested on the wooden floor as Murph took the wheel of the ship and drove it to Tilt Village's port.

* * *

><p>"...So you see," Blue Eyes confessed to Rand and Professor Hastings, "it's my fault for being dazzled by this treasure. My followers, who were just trying to save me, are not to blame at all."<p>

"L-leader?"

"I'm the only one who deserves punishment. My followers all had a change of heart long ago, so please just let them go," she pleaded. The other ex-Pinchers looked incredibly shocked by this.

"Hmm... What a strange story," Hastings said casually. "Don't you agree, Rand?"

"It is strange," the ranger replied. "Compared to the story we first heard from these two, it's really different."

"We're sorry leader!" the two Pinchers that accompanied Rand and Hastings shouted. "We told Rand everything!" Now it was her turn to look shocked.

"So, your followers, who had received a tip about a treasure in the Undersea Cavern, unknown to their leader, went diving in the ocean to get that treasure," he explained.

"That's wrong!" she denied. Rand smiled at her as he continued.

"But there was a violent ocean current there, and a pokémon they'd never seen was going wild. But one of them got drawn into the current, so not having any other choice, they contacted their leader."

"..." Blue Eyes was silent this time as she looked away.

"Even though you were mad at the selfish acts of your followers, you went there... and saved them." One of the Pinchers stepped forward and admitted to being the one Blue Eyes saved. "Then Lugia showed up. You let your followers flee first, but you were caught under a falling rock."

"How dare you make up a story like that..." she denied again, not showing as much conviction this time.

"Leader! You don't need to cover for us anymore!" all the Pinchers declared at the same time, willing to accept the consequences of their actions.

"I see. So that's what happened," Murph stated. "By the way, Rand... Did you use pro-wrestling moves to get those two to talk?" The latias and latios rolled their eyes at the ridiculous imagery.

"No, Rand was very nice!" one of them replied, smiling.

"Rand said that if we didn't tell the truth," the other added, "our leader would probably try to cover for us and take all the blame herself..."

"I was surprised. Things happened just like he said they would." Hastings nodded.

"Rand is very good at understanding people. That's why he's so well-liked by the people of Oblivia. There's more to a ranger's work than just capturing pokémon." Rand smiled at the professor's praise. "At any rate, this time Rand's caring, Blue Eyes's leadership, and Ben and Summer's actions saved everyone. Mission Clear, everyone!" Ben and Summer did a few celebratory laps around the Union before returning to everyone.

"I still can't get over how incredible and cute you two look right now," one of the ex-Pinchers gushed.

"But... as long as this treasure's here, Lugia might return to retrieve it," Blue Eyes said worriedly as she glanced at the oversized cup.

"I already told you that's not going to happen," Murph replied.

"That's called the Rainbow Grail," Rand stated. "It appears in an old legend in Oblivia, and this is..."

"So it's an amazing treasure, then!" an ex-Pincher excitedly interrupted him.

"...A replica of it. It's fake."

"Fake?!" Blue Eyes cried.

"It's a prop for the Rainbow Festival," Murph explained. "It's made of paiper-maché."

"P-paiper-maché?!"

"From the looks of things," Hastings said, examining the false grail, "it was made decades ago. Maybe it didn't turn out right and was thrown away in the ocean. Or perhaps... someone dropped it in the ocean by mistake."

"Now that you mention it," one of the ex-Pinchers piped up, "there were other things like bottles, cans, and broken Z.Z. Flyers in that cave."

"Well I... I've accidentally thrown bottles from my Z.Z. Flyer," another admitted shamefully.

"I've thrown cans..."

"The strong tidal flows must have taken garbage from all over and deposited it in that cave," Rand reasoned.

"Maybe Lugia was angry at those who polluted the ocean," Blue Eyes added, "and that's why it was in such a rage..."

"That seems to be the best way to look at it," Hastings said. "Lugia doesn't care about that paiper-maché grail, but it was trying to protect the ocean. From time to time, pokémon teach us important lessons. To put it another way, you're right."

"Thanks, well... On that note... you..."

"Yikes! M-Me?" the targeted ex-Pincher wondered.

"I heard you sent pokémon after the rangers," she said, frowning at him. "Are you still manipulating pokémon?"

"No, that's not it. Those kingdra... They've taken a liking to me and won't leave my side."

"That happens sometimes," the professor said, a little amused by this news. "Take good care of them!"

"Hey everyone! Let's take a cruise on the Union to celebrate the recovery of the fake Rainbow Grail!" Murph suggested. "We can watch Oblivia's sunset and take it easy."

"Can we come?" Blue Eyes requested.

"Of course! You too... uh, professor? Where did Ben and Summer go?" Everyone looked around, confused as to where the Eon pokémon went.

"I don't know... but knowing them, it's probably best we don't look for them," Rand said. He looked at the sky and smiled. If one were to look closely, they would see two shimmers in the air zoom by.

* * *

><p><strong>Fanfiction actually deleted this chapter! Fortunately, this author had a back-up plan. Let me know what you think of the chapter in a review! <strong>

**Question: Did I borrow a little too much from the game? I don't need a disclaimer; I heard that makes things worse.**


	15. Return to the Ruins

"Oh, Ben! Summer! And you too, Pichu!" Nema greeted the three pokémon as they entered her family's home.

"Thanks for coming. I'm sorry to call you for something so strange," Leanne said. "If Rand were here, he might get angry..."

"Good thing Papa's out, huh Mom?"

"What's going on?" Ben wondered. "Why would Rand be upset?" Nema grinned excitedly.

"Don't get too surprised, but my mom received a love letter!" Ben and Summer looked at Leanne in shock.

"It's not a love letter!" she quickly explained in annoyance. "It's a fan letter."

"Either way, they're pretty much the same thing," Nema said dismissively, much to her mother's chagrin. Summer chuckled softly as Leanne shook her head.

"Ugh, it's not a love letter, okay? Read it for yourselves. It's in that drawer over there." Nema walked to the drawer and retrieved the letter from it. She then handed it over to the Eon pokémon. Pichu jumped onto Ben's back to look at the letter.

"'Oh, my admired Leanne,'" Ben read out loud, "'I remember when I first met you as if it were yesterday.'" They snickered at the wording.

"See? It's a love letter, right?" Nema asked. Leanne urged the latios to continue reading.

"'At that time, I couldn't do anything to help you, and I was so ashamed that I couldn't meet your gaze.'"

"Sounds like a shy, if still nice, young man, huh?"

"We don't need the commentary!" Leanne stated in annoyance. Summer took the letter and continued reading it. Pichu jumped onto her back this time.

"'I heard you are an archaeologist,'" Summer read. "'I wanted to meet you again and have an actual conversation, so I started studying archaeology from the ground up.'"

"The problem starts just past that point," Leanne pointed out.

"'When I did, I found it to be very interesting. I actually started visiting ruins by myself... Then I made a huge discovery! Leanne! I definitely want to get your opinion. I'll be waiting in our Oblivia Ruins, where we first met... I will go in the same outfit that I was wearing then!'"

"Mom says she doesn't remember that person at all," Nema said as she recovered the letter. "It's totally unrequited love on his part."

"Nema! Would you just knock it off!" Leanne demanded, more annoyed by her daughter's teasing. She merely snickered. "I'm interested in the big discovery he wrote about in the letter... but that place..."

"That's the Oblivia Ruins where we were taken when we were kidnapped by the pinchers," Nema reminded them sadly. "Just thinking about that place is scary." Both Eon pokémon nodded as they recalled the event.

"I still have nightmares about the place," Leanne admitted with a shudder. "I suppose, as an archaeologist, that's a little embarrassing."

"Could you three be my mom's bodyguards and chaperone her date with the 'letter boy'?" Nema requested, getting her excitement back.

"This is an investigation, not a date!" Leanne insisted.

"Okay, okay. Will you go with her on her investigation?" The pichu, latias, and latios nodded immediately and saluted.

"You can count on us!"

"Thank you! Let's leave immediately!" Leanne said, relieved.

"With bodyguards like these, Mom doesn't have anything to worry about." Nema beamed at the thought of her friends guarding her mother fiercely.

* * *

><p>Leanne held onto Summer tightly as they neared the Oblivia Ruins. Once Summer descended to the ground, she dismounted her and looked at the ancient building.<p>

"Coming back here is bringing back the fear from before..." she lamented with a shudder, "but I'm an archaeologist. I must overcome my fear from that incident, and I can't go back now."

"We'll keep you safe," the latias assured her.

"Without a doubt," Ben added. Leanne petted both Eon pokémon and Pichu on the head and smiled.

"Thanks again. I wonder where the person who sent the letter is... They must be in the... mural room..." The archaeologist took a deep breath made her way into said room, accompanied by the latias, latios, and pichu floating after her. Once she entered, she walked to the northeast mural and brushed a hand over it.

"Anything?" Ben asked her a minute later.

"I didn't notice it before," she explained, "but some ancient script is faintly..." She trailed off as she continued to examined the murals, eventually pausing in front of one of them.

"What is it?" Summer wondered.

"Something important is written out mysteriously. It will be hard to decipher it immediately, but it's very intriguing," Leanne replied. Pichu suddenly cried out in curiosity, and she blinked. "Oh my, I'm sorry. I completely forgot I was going to meet someone." The room suddenly dimmed for half of a second, and everyone tensed. The pokémon headed to her side, ready to defend her if need be. "What's going on... It's getting darker and darker..." The room darkened completely before regaining its light. A swirling mass of purple clouds appeared in the middle of the room, getting everyone's attention.

"What's happening?" Summer questioned. Something shadowy came out of the clouds and landed on the ground, shaking the structure with its tremendous weight. The shadows covering the figure disappeared, revealing the being to be Giratina. It roared at the four.

"Look out!" Leanne shouted, retreating to the wall. Ben and Summer drew their Stylers and encircled the Renegade pokémon with their capture discs. Giratina shot two Shadow Balls at them, but made no other aggressive moves.

"This seems strange," Ben said as the second Shadow Ball simply sailed past him. "Giratina doesn't seem too keen on attacking us. I wonder why..."

"Perhaps it isn't trying to hurt us," Summer suggested. Both rangers withdrew their capture discs as they completed the capture, though they were unsure of Giratina's intentions. Suddenly the massive ghost dragon roared at them, pushing them away a small distance from the force.

"What's going on? Your feelings of friendship didn't get through to it," Leanne said. "Staying here is dangerous. Let's get out of here!" With that, she and the three pokémon headed out of the room, leaving Giratina behind. Surprisingly, it made no attempt to pursue them.

"Something's off," Ben muttered. "It wasn't even trying to hurt us."

"That was close. Are you three okay?"

"We're fine," Ben replied. "There's not a scratch on us. Why didn't the capture work?"

"A capture not working... What in the world was that pokémon?" the archaeologist wondered.

"Apparently, that was the legendary pokémon Giratina," Summer's Styler explained.

"Giratina?! Usually that pokémon lives in a different world, so why did it come to the Oblivia Ruins? Compared with the pictures of Giratina I've seen in history books, the shape looked somehow different..."

"Maybe it's another Forme," Summer posited. "I heard it takes on a different form in our world."

"Perhaps the big discovery mentioned in the letter has something to do with Giratina. I know it's dangerous, but let's thoroughly investigate the ruins. Ben, Summer, and Pichu, please be my bodyguards a little longer, okay?"

"No threat will make it to you on our watch!" they declared. They exited the room, arriving outside. They then went down the stairs, arriving in a water-filled room with transparent floors. On the other side, they saw what appeared to be a steelhead.

"Hey, I recognize that Pichu! And those other two pokémon! Why are they here?!" the pokémon heard him mutter frantically. "They couldn't be here to arrest me, could they? Oh, man! I wasn't expecting this! I won't let them get me!" He ran through the other exit as quick as his armor would allow him.

"Hmm... there are still pinchers that haven't taken off their armor. That's kind of scary... but I'm more worried about the guy who wrote the letter. We have to go forward..." Ben floated downward and nudged Leanne.

"I can fly you over there if you want," Ben offered. Leanne accepted and climbed onto the latios's back, arriving on the other side momentarily. Once they went into the hall with the steelhead busts, Leanne asked them to stop. She got off of Ben and examined the busts.

"The steelhead icons! There are... five altogether. They are very old. Let me look at them for a moment." Two minutes after examining them, she stopped.

"What's up?" Summer asked her.

"It's just as I thought. These icons form some kind of device," Leanne explained. "Another thing that interests me is... Only this icon," she pointed to the middle bust, "is missing pieces of its armor. If there are pieces of armor somewhere that we can use in place of the missing parts, the device might move..."

"Maybe that steelhead might be willing to part with the armor he's wearing," the latias suggested as they moved through the corridor. "After all, there's no reason for him to keep wearing it, is there?"

"It is if that's all he has," Ben joked. Everyone chuckled at the absurd scenario. In the next room, they saw the same steelhead from before.

"Hey, steelhead!" Leanne called. The man jumped at the sound of her voice.

"I'm not doing bad things anymore!" he shouted, clearly scared out of his mind at the sight of the Eon pokémon. "And despite that, you brought those weird-looking pokémon along somehow!" He ran upward and suddenly cried out in surprise. No further sounds were heard from him.

"He just said something a little interesting," Leanne noted. "I have an idea as to who that might be."

"What?" Summer wondered. Suddenly they heard him screaming in the distance.

"Let's follow that steelhead! Carefully, though. He was probably abducted by those claydol patrolling the place." Ben and Summer used their invisibility to distract the claydol and clear Leanne and Pichu's path, regrouping at the other exit. Once they reached the room below, they searched every other room until finally arriving in the southeastern room. The steelhead looked at them worriedly as he sat on the floor.

"I finally found you," Leanne stated to the nervous steelhead.

"It's all over now," he resigned, shutting his eyes and tensing up. "Do your worst. But before you take me away... there's something I have to say to Leanne!" He opened his eyes, but still maintained a tense stance.

"So you know my name! You are the person who sent me that letter, then?"

"That's right," he confirmed. "I said I'd be waiting in the same outfit as when we met. But this is so mean, Leanne! Bringing those pokémon along, and..." Leanne stopped him.

"You're misunderstanding! These rangers and Pichu came along as my bodyguards. For me, these Oblivia Ruins are a scary place that brings back memories of being kidnapped. You should know that just as well as anybody."

"They're rangers?! W-well, um... I'm very, very sorry about back then," he said, ashamed while he dropped his guard. Leanne looked at him in shock.

"Could you be... That steelhead who tried to stand up to Purple Eyes before?"

"...You remembered me! That's right! I'm that steelhead!" he admitted. "I felt so sorry for you at that time, but I was so afraid of my leader that I wasn't able to help."

"So that's what was going on," Ben said, startling the man. The steelhead quickly realized it had come from the latios and sighed in relief, glad to have earned their trust. All the same, he looked down in shame.

"I didn't think about your feelings, Leanne, and I wore the same armor from that awful time... I'm sorry. I'll strip this tin can off right now!"

"W-wait!"

"I'm wearing clothes underneath, so there's nothing to worry about!" Ben chuckled to himself, recalling the joke he made earlier. He tore off his armor and dropped it on the ground, revealing a standard pincher uniform as his clothing. "I'm not a pincher anymore, but these are the only decent clothes I have at this time."

"That's actually relieving. Now that we've been acquainted, what was the big discovery you wrote about?" Leanne asked him.

"Oh, right! Wasn't there some hard-to-read ancient script on the walls in the top part of the ruins?"

"Yes, but it would take an entire day to decipher them."

"Only one day?!" he questioned, amazed by the archaeologist's skill. "You're amazing, Leanne! It took me an entire week!"

"No way... You've managed to decipher that ancient script?"

"Yes! I was so absorbed in it, I forgot to eat!" he admitted. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry."

"That's really amazing. Would you mind telling me what was written there, then?" He stood up and took a deep breath.

"The ancient steelhead hid a certain item somewhere in this wide world," he explained. "It's called a Griseous Orb."

"Griseous Orb?" Summer wondered.

"That's right. The ancient steelhead summoned Giratina from another world in order to defeat the young hero who was trying to defend peace."

"Weird," Ben mentally said to his partner. "I don't recall Giratina ever appearing in the past. Maybe we just don't have that memory."

"Then," the man continued, "in order to keep it from leaving, they stole the Griseous Orb from it."

"In other words, Giratina has always been searching these Oblivia Ruins for the Griseous Orb?" Leanne posited.

"I don't think it's always been here. I'm sure it has been searching the whole world."

"Hmm... we encountered Giratina not too long ago."

Wow, really? I just heard a really loud screech... So that's what that was."

"Your ancestors did something really terrible," Leanne said, crossing her arms.

"Wait! They weren't any ancestors of mine!" the ex-pincher defended, holding his arms up. "The five steelhead who summoned Giratina and I are not connected in any way!"

"You were more than happy to wear that evil armor, so you can't say there isn't any connection at all..." she reminded him. "Take a hard look at what you've done." He looked down again, but she interrupted him before he could lament. "You just said... there were five ancient steelhead, right?"

"Yes, according to the ancient writing."

"I have a feeling I know where the Griseous Orb is hidden. You do as well, right guys?"

"It has to be in that corridor," Ben said.

"Perhaps we can use your armor to fill in the missing pieces of the steelhead icon." The ex-pincher looked up and smiled in admiration.

"That's Leanne for you! What a great idea! I'll carry the armor there immediately!" As he picked up the armor, Ben flew behind him and put him on his back, surprising everyone.

"It might be easier to just fly to the room," he suggested, amused by the ex-pincher's nearly falling off of him in shock.

* * *

><p>"If we take these pieces of armor," Leanne explained as she moved the armor, "and put them in the missing pieces like so... The device should move, but..." A flash of light and the sound of a stone slab being moved confirmed her suspicions. "Bingo! Just as I thought."<p>

"That's incredible, Leanne! I mean Professor Leanne!" the ex-pincher corrected. A golden-colored portal appeared before the party. She disappeared into the portal. The rangers and Pichu quickly chased after her, leaving the man behind.

"I can't believe there's space like this!" Leanne exclaimed upon arriving in a new room. "It's surprising."

"Where are we?" Summer wondered. Her Styler immediately sounded off at her question.

"Confirmed current coordinates," it announced. "Your location is currently north of the previous room."

"That means this must be a hidden room. Let's see if something is there in the next room." She and her bodyguards proceeded into the next room.

"This place reminds me of the Sky Fortress," Ben commented, looking at the designs. "Look! We can even see the sea!" Leanne, however, was intrigued by the large statue in front of them.

"Picking up a special energy signal from that icon," Ben's Styler alerted.

"I imagine the Griseous Orb is here," the archaeologist said, feeling around the statue. "We have to investigate..." Suddenly Pichu and the Eon pokémon sensed two magnezone approach them and readied their Stylers, quickly dealing with the invading pokémon while the professor worked. They turned to face Leanne upon hearing something slide out of place. Leanne now held an oddly shaped object.

"Oh, this is quite the gem! I'll bet this is the Griseous Orb!" Another portal appeared and they jumped into it, finding themselves in the armor corridor once more.

"Professor Leanne! Rangers! I was shocked when you suddenly disappeared!" the ex-pincher cried.

"Thanks to you, we obtained the Griseous Orb!" Leanne announced. She held the golden object in front of him as proof.

"B-because of me?"

"Well now, let's deliver the Griseous Orb to Giratina. I hope it's still in the same room."

* * *

><p>They now stood before the room they last saw Giratina in. To their relief, it was still there.<p>

"Giratina is likely very agitated from having to search for this," Leanne advised. "You might have to try capturing it again."

"Maybe we can reason with it once it has that orb," Summer wondered. They entered the room and noticed that the ghost dragon had not left the spot it was in since they ran out. Leanne slowly approached it, presenting the Griseous Orb as a piece offering. It gazed at her curiously, its anger interrupted by the gem.

"Giratina, can you hear me? It's okay now! The Griseous Orb you've been searching for is right here!" She placed the orb on the ground and backed away. Suddenly it disappeared, and the room grew dark once more. As the darkness disappeared, Giratina's entire body shape changed.

"Wow," Ben commented.

"Giratina has returned to its Origin Forme with the power of the Griseous Orb," Leanne said. "This is what it looked like in the history books. Unfortunately, it still seems to be enraged."

"It's understandable," Summer stated as they readied their Stylers. "Giratina was tricked and trapped here for years."

"We'll do our best," Ben reassured the archaeologist as she and her partner found some cover. Giratina roared and launched a barrage of Shadow Balls this time, some of them hitting the Eon pokémon and knocking them away. Ben was the first to recover from the super-effective damage and launched his charged capture disc. Summer retaliated by firing a Mist Ball at her foe, detonating it before it hit. Giratina stumbled back, slightly confused by the non-damaging attack. Summer flew around Giratina at high speed to hold the legendary in place within a vortex.

"Go for it, Ben!" Summer urged her counterpart. She flew to Leanne's side to keep her safe from any more attacks. Ben nodded and looped his capture disc around it while Pichu played his instrument. Giratina shot blue fireballs and Shadow Balls from its mouth in a bid to hit the latios, but the vortex severely reduced the chance of that happening. One of them, however, managed to barely hit Ben as he had finished his ninth loop. He was knocked away with a small burn mark on his left side, but he countered with a Luster Purge, temporarily blinding Giratina.

"Ben! Are you all right?" Leanne asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Ben replied. He winced as he rubbed the area. The Styler had absorbed most of the damage from the attack, to his relief, but could not do away with the burn inflicted upon him.

"I'll take over," Summer said. As they traded places, Summer shot another Mist Ball at Giratina, this time allowing it to hit her foe. Once it stumbled, she charged her capture disc and cloaked it in red energy before deploying it. After fifteen loops, she withdrew the disc, having completed the capture.

"Thanks, Summer," Ben said as he rested on the ground. Giratina looked at the two with curiosity before generating a purple portal and disappearing into it with the Griseous Orb. At that moment, the ex-pincher ran back into the room.

"Professor Leaaanne!" he cried, getting everyone's attention. "Are you okay?"

"Thank you," she replied. "I'm thanking you on behalf of Giratina."

"So that means Giratina took the Griseous Orb and went back to the world where it came from," he concluded. "That's great!"

"All of this is thanks to you and these rangers. It's definitely a Mission Clear!" Leanne congratulated. "Still... That means Giratina was searching all over this world for the Griseous Orb for more than a thousand years. Well now, former pincher. Do you know why Giratina, in its search for the Griseous Orb, reached these Oblivia Ruins? This is a test." She crossed her arms as she waited for his response.

"A... test? Well, the way I see it..." He pondered his answer for a few seconds. "When that fortress rose from here, it was just like when Giratina was summoned into this world, and that must have gave it some sort of hint."

"...You might just have what it takes to be an archaeologist," Leanne commended. "The Sky Fortress should never have been brought back into the world, but that was the only clue Giratina had about how to get back to its world."

"It's awfully tragic," Ben commented, wincing slightly from the burn. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Professor Leanne. What was that test about?" the ex-pincher wondered.

"The test was to see if you would be good enough to be my assistant... and the result is... a passing grade, I suppose," she responded with a smile.

"M-me? Your assistant?"

"Thanks to you, I was able to overcome the fearful memories I had in this place. I'm grateful for that. Of course, this is only if you're interested..."

"I'm definitely interested!" he said excitedly. "I have interest to spare! Writing that love letter was so worth it! Uh, er, well..."

"Fan letter, of course!" Leanne supplied, chuckling to herself. "That's enough silly talk. Let's start investigating these ruins right away."

"Y-yes! Of course!"

Ben, Summer, and Pichu, thanks for your help. Will you be all right, Ben?"

"Sure," the latios replied, lowering himself onto the ground. "I'll rest here and catch up later."

"I'll stay behind and help," the latias added. Leanne and the ex-pincher smiled at the sight of her using Heal Pulse on him before getting back to inspecting the ruins.

* * *

><p><strong>We're almost at the finish line. Leave a review if you liked the chapter, and I'll be back with the last chapter.<strong>


	16. The End

**To be honest, I almost did not feel all that interested in posting this one due to very few reminders, but I remembered that I always finish my stories. **

**This is the final chapter for the story, and the longest one yet. You might want to grab a snack, get comfortable, and steel yourself for this one; it's a doozy. **

* * *

><p>"Sheesh," Summer remarked after Nema explained the situation. "Professor Hastings is really impatient, isn't he?"<p>

"He sure is," Nema agreed. "He won't even call my awesome invention, 'The Nema-Style, Distorted-Space-Finding Radar', by its full name. He just started calling it the 'Nematic Radar' for short. What am I, exactly?"

"I think the professor is the normal one there," Ben commented. Nema pouted, clearly disagreeing with him. Summer's Styler rang as it received a voicemail.

"It's from Professor Hastings!"

"Ben, Summer, can you hear my voice?" Hastings asked. "Come to the Sky Fortress, which is now floating in the ocean, immediately. The distortions in space are spreading..." The transmission fizzled into static beyond that point.

"Professor? Professor Hastings!" Ben cried. "Communication has been cut off. I wonder what happened?"

"Let's hurry to where that fortress is floating! Nema, you might want to stay here."

"Don't worry, I'll be in the back working on my new invention. Pichu, I'm sure you'll like the surprise," she hinted. Before Pichu could ask what she meant (not that she would know exactly what he said), Summer grabbed him and flew out of the home, followed by Ben.

* * *

><p>The Eon duo quickly flew into the top part of the fortress and met up with Rand, Leanne, Murph, and Professor Hastings.<p>

"Great, you made it!" Hastings greeted them.

"We're glad you're safe! Our wireless transmission got cut off in the middle," Summer said.

"That's because the space here is distorted. I'm as sound as ever. I was seeing how the Nematic Radar turned out, and when I turned it on, there was a reaction that indicated the space in a certain area was distorted. That area is this Sky Fortress. Although it's now an ocean fortress on the surface of the water." The professor looked around.

"So, what's going on?" the latios asked.

"The distortion keeps getting worse...and just now, three more new distortions occurred in different locations. Rand just left to investigate. I want you two to go provide Rand with some backup. Head for the inside of the fortress," he ordered.

"We'll stay here and continue to investigate this event," Leanne added.

"I'll protect Leanne and Hastings, and I'll be protected by Hastings," Murph joked, earning a glare from the impatient professor, "so go, and don't worry about us!" Ben, Summer, and Pichu nodded and went down the stairs.

* * *

><p>They eventually arrived in the middle room where they confronted Edward's posse.<p>

"This brings back memories," Ben said, frowning.

"You know, it's a shame those three didn't put their talents to non-criminal use," Summer agreed. "They could have been so much better that way. So, which room do you want to check first?"

"Hmm... How about the room on the far left?" As quick as they could, they made their way through said room's corridor, being careful to not engage any of the other disturbed pokémon. They reached the other exit and saw a familiar face: Giratina. The Renegade pokémon roared, clearly agitated by the distortion.

"Giratina? What are you doing here?" Summer asked it. Giratina looked at the two Eon pokémon and calmed down almost immediately. "Do you remember us?"

"...Yes," it replied, much to their shock. They hadn't expected to hear it talk after having engaged it in battle prior. "I can see why you would be surprised. When we met, I was so frustrated that I could not find my precious treasure. A thousand years of searching, a thousand years of rage... finally brought to an end by the same species that caused it," Giratina noted. "How ironic."

"Humans have changed," Ben said. "This isn't an age of war anymore, at least I believe it's not. At the very least, conflict is smaller in scale these days, and large conflicts are largely opposed."

"I am not completely inclined to believe you. I have seen more good in just one month than I have in the past millennium, barring those heroes in the distant past. This fortress, however, reminds me of the lines humans tend to cross."

"Not all humans are like that. You've seen it for yourself, right?" the latias argued. "This fortress was disarmed by humans and pokémon like ourselves who refused to cross those lines, twice."

"You raise a valid point. Regarding our previous encounter, I am sorry... and thank you for your help." With that, Giratina flew out of the fortress, surprising them once more.

"Wow... we never even had to capture Giratina. That's a relief. I can't help but wonder if Giratina was the one behind those distortions," Summer said.

"Let's try wireless," Ben suggested. He tapped a few buttons on his Styler and called Hastings.

"Oh, hello Ben. I take it the distortion in the room you three are in was resolved?"

"We encountered Giratina," the latios reported, "who parted ways with us after some time. We suspect that Giratina's disappearance caused the distortion in space to disappear too."

"Really? The pokémon said to live in another world? This makes sense. Its appearance in this world means that distortions in space are indeed possible. Get to...t...oms...dis..." The transmission became too cluttered in static for either Eon pokémon to understand, but they assumed he meant the other rooms had to be searched.

* * *

><p>They decided to go to the room on the right next and were greeted with the sight of another member of the Creation Trio. Before they could identify who it was, however, it released a flash of light, blinding them. When their vision returned, they found themselves in the same illusion that Hocus set up against them a while ago.<p>

"That pokémon was Palkia!" their Stylers announced, displaying an image of the pokémon before them.

"Palkia? The legendary pokémon that can control space?" Summer cried.

"I heard about it from one of the rangers over at the Ranger Union," Ben said. "Apparently it caused some trouble for the people of Almia while it was licking its wounds from a battle with Dialga. It made doors lead to random places."

"We might be in for a confusing time. Let's be careful." They looked at the exit and flew toward it, being careful to avoid the displaced and disoriented pokémon in the cloud-like room. Once they reached the normal room, they found Palkia. The spatial dragon eyed them curiously.

"Palkia, what are you doing here?" Ben asked. Palkia smirked.

"What? A girl can't take a vacation anymore? And here I thought I'd get some rest before my next fight."

"Huh?" Needless to say, all three pokémon were confused by her rather informal tone.

"Okay, that's enough messing around." Palkia took on a more serious tone as she continued. "I am here because humankind is in grave danger, and I just knew this place was the reason. Frankly, I'm worried."

"What do you mean?" Summer questioned. "What's going on? Why would we be in danger?"

"Okay, now I'm confused. You aren't human, though from the looks of things you've been hanging around them."

"No, but we used to be until recent events," Ben explained. "It's a long story."

"Right, right," Palkia nodded. "I remember the stories told by Ho-Oh. She talked about a latias and latios who worked with humans and other pokémon to prevent some catastrophe. Now I see what she was talking about." She then looked down at Pichu, who stood on Summer's back, and regarded him with curiosity. "And this pichu... I've never heard of a pokémon playing a human instrument. Show me what you can do, little guy."

"Okay," Pichu obliged. He jumped down and played his signature song as well as his paws would allow, even going as far as to top it off with a Thunderbolt. The attack, unfortunately hit everyone, though none of the dragons appeared to be fazed by it. He drooped his ears and looked down in embarrassment. "Uh... I'm sorry, Palkia. I didn't mean to hit you."

"No harm, no foul," the spatial dragon replied calmly. "I'm impressed by your talent. You have quite an unusual skill."

"A good human friend of mine gave it to me when he found out I was interested in the ukulele he had. Since then, I've been practicing for all my friends, and I even helped save Oblivia with it."

"I see..." Palkia closed her eyes and grew silent, deep in thought. "Do you see the thing on the base of my tail?" Ben flew behind her to look, and was shocked by what he found.

"A... bandage? From the earlier incident?"

"Indeed. A while back, I made a real mess of a place and confused a lot of people. My power over space was disturbed thanks to my last clash with Dialga," Palkia explained. "I received this bandage when some humans and pokémon came to my aid. The wound has healed, but I have kept it as a reminder of the goodness humans are capable of and that pokémon can make mistakes too."

"That explains why you're here," Summer said, "but why would humankind be in grave danger?" Palkia spread her arms out.

"Look around you. This terrible place should have stayed buried in that lake. On a somewhat-related note, Groudon is... unhappy... with the destruction of one of his creations, to put it mildly." Pichu frowned at this, remembering his friends' near-disappearance. "We'll meet again, I promise." With that, Palkia generated a portal behind herself and disappeared into it. At that point, Summer's Styler rang.

"Hello, Summer. The Nematic Radar is detecting only one more distortion in the lower rooms," the professor said. "I take it you three resolved the distortion in your current room?"

"Yes, professor," Ben replied. "We encountered Palkia."

"Palkia, you say? The legendary pokémon that can control space... Well, that explains the radar's findings. Head for the last room. I-" Before he could say anything further, the message abruptly ended.

"Guess there's still some distortions that have to be taken care of," Pichu noted.

* * *

><p>"Let's see... Palkia and Giratina were here. My guess is that Dialga is waiting for us in the last room," Summer said. Upon entering the room, they saw the temporal dragon atop the large platform. It let out a roar before disappearing in a burst of light.<p>

"That pokémon was indeed Dialga! Beware, it can control the flow of time," Summer's Styler pointed out. Suddenly, pokémon appeared in front of them. They stood near the red and blue panels and the green teleporter, fiercely guarding them.

"Deja vu," Pichu commented. "This looks familiar..."

"Could we have gone back in time?" Summer wondered. Just as they did before, they simply flew up to the platform and entered the next room. Dialga stared at the sea.

"Pragmatic as before, hm? You navigated the trial much quicker this time," Dialga mused. "It might not be too late for humankind. For all of the horrible things they've done, they have also performed amazing feats."

"Do you mean the Ranger Union?" Summer asked. The temporal dragon turned to face them.

"That is one of the most amazing feats," Dialga agreed. "What also amazes me is their ability to let grudges go. I want to know something. Do you think Palkia has a vendetta against guys like me?"

"Umm... Guys like you? What are you talking about?"

"I know, it is an awkward question, but that's what the bandage on my underside keeps making me think about." Summer flew closer to examine the dragon's underside, and sure enough, there was a large bandage just above the midsection. "I wonder what I could have done to upset her so. Humans at least have the decency to explain themselves, given the opportunity."

"Were you helped by some rangers in the past, Dialga?" Pichu asked him.

"Rangers and trainers, actually. They helped me heal from my last fight against her. After that and the incident at Coronet Mountain, I took a look at the timelines of many humans. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that helping others was a part of their nature. All this time I assumed they were simply pawns of destruction, merely deluding themselves with creation and assistance."

"I see."

"I have also heard that Giratina was able to return to its world thanks to some humans locating its Griseous Orb. Humans may make a lot of messes, but it would be unfair to deny their ability to clean them up. Destruction and creation are both parts of human nature, it seems." Just like Palkia, Dialga generated a portal behind himself and disappeared into it.

"All of these talks are about saving humankind... Just what is going on?" Summer wondered.

"I have a bad feeling about this," the latios admitted. Suddenly, his Styler rang once more. "It must be the professor." He activated the communicator and began to report the news.

"All three of you! Get back here immediately!" Professor Hastings interrupted, ending the call and surprising all the pokémon.

"Whoa... he was so flustered, he even forgot to say 'hurry, hurry, hurry,' like always," the latias noticed. "Something must've happened!"

"We'd better hurry back." They flew back up to the main room through the stairwell. Before they approached the door, their Stylers rang loudly.

"There is an energy reaction unlike any ever encountered before. Extreme danger ahead!" the Stylers warned. What startled both Eon pokémon was the fact that both Stylers were blinking yellow and grey, a feature they never even knew the gadgets had.

"Whatever's beyond this point might be something we won't be able to handle. I know it's dangerous...but there's no way we can abandon everyone in there!" Summer cried. She looked at the door with determination.

"We're rangers. It's what we do," Ben added, just as determined as his partner. "We must put our fears aside and press on." All three pokémon took a deep breath and went inside.

* * *

><p>To their relief, everyone was still there, if a bit shaken by the distortions.<p>

"We've been waiting for you three!" Murph called, though it was clear he was not too thrilled at the moment. The Nematic Radar fell from his hands and broke in half, likely due to an overload of energy.

"What in the world is..." Summer trailed off as a large shining pokémon descended upon the group, landing in front of them.

"This pokémon... It's incredible," Hastings breathed. "This is my first time to see it in person like this, but... there's no mistaking it. It's Arceus." Everyone nearly jumped in shock as they recognized the being.

"Arceus..." Leanne said. "That name was marked in several ruins. The pokémon rumored to have shaped the world..."

"Hmm..." Pichu murmured. Arceus suddenly let loose a flash of light, causing everyone to shut their eyes. Before they knew it, they found themselves in a dark abyss, unaware of anything except themselves and the Alpha pokémon.

"Wh-what is this?" Summer wondered. "Images I've never seen before are flashing through my mind." She thought back to what happened to her and Ben before they became the pokémon of legend.

"Me too!" Murph cried. "But I just thought I was dreaming or something, because I haven't been getting enough sleep lately..."

"It's strange, but I can see it, too..." Rand added. "These are probably the cities and villages of ancient Oblivia..."

"It's fuzzy, but I can see them too!" Leanne exclaimed. "I can see something that looks like a temple in the middle of the forest! It looks a lot like Teakwood Forest."

"...Hmm. Actually, I do, too," Hastings said. "It looks like everyone is seeing the same images."

"Perhaps these are Arceus's old memories..." Hastings nodded in agreement.

"Arceus seems to be using telepathy to try and tell us something, but what? Everything seems peaceful."

"The images are clearing up," Ben noticed. The current image faded away before being replaced by one showing Arceus straining with some unknown force. "Arceus looks to be in pain. It's struggling."

"What is that trying to control Arceus?" Rand wondered, looking closer. "It has to be the Golden Armor! That's the only way-!"

"It appears to be tormenting Arceus," Hastings said, interrupting him. A new image showed up, this time of a person clad in the armor. It held a blue orb and stood in a location bearing a resemblance to the arc around the pokémon.

"Someone in Golden Armor, with an orb of some kind... I wonder what they're trying to do," Leanne wondered. The image shifted once more, this time to the skies of Oblivia.

"Wh-whoa!" Murph cried. "The Sky Fortress! It appeared!" In an instant, everyone saw the Sky Fortress rise into the sky once more. At that point, the images disappeared, and everyone found themselves in the fortress once more. Arceus appeared to be slighted by the memories.

"The person who made the Sky Fortress... must be the one wearing the Golden Armor." Hastings stepped forward, finally realizing what all those images meant.

"...Arceus, please listen," he pleaded. "What you just showed us were people's mistakes in the past... and we humans were about to repeat that mistake again in this new era."

"Yes, you were," Arceus replied, stunning nearly everyone in the room.

"But, Arceus, please believe us," Hastings continued, quickly overcoming his shock. "We humans won't make the same mistake again. We won't let anybody do something so foolish as to revive this fortress again." He placed his right hand on his chest. "I would like to pledge that here before you."

"I simply cannot." Hastings frowned, beginning to despair, and stepped back.

"I guess it's unreasonable to ask you to believe us after the mistake's already been made... twice." He decided to try again. "Arceus... it's true that some humans cause pain and suffering in order to gain their own desires. However... there are also humans who selflessly do everything in their power to help other people and pokémon!"

"What do you mean?" the Alpha pokémon inquired gently. It released another flash of light, this time blinding no one.

"Arceus, are you going to destroy the entire Oblivia region, which holds this hateful Sky Fortress, as well as all the people and pokémon who live in Oblivia?"

"Ar-Ar-Arceus!" Murph cried anxiously. "I-I don't care what happens to me, but that pichu over there and these rangers are joined by a very strong bond. This... how should I say this... this history of people and pokémon helping each other has always been part of Oblivia." The PR chief took a deep breath before continuing. "So, in other words... how should I put this... I'm sorry for getting out of line!"

"But..." Pichu said, stepping foward. "You can't! We all live together! I have friends of all sorts, and they have me! We've bonded so well!"

"Pichu's right, Arceus!" Ben said. "We have an unbreakable bond, one that will pave the way to the future."

"Hmm..." Arceus relented, considering all this. The Alpha pokémon stopped shining and calmed down. A wave of barely suppressed relief washed over everyone.

"...Arceus? Did we convince you?" Summer wondered.

"Of course Arceus is convinced!" someone announced. Everyone turned around to face the source of the voice, accompanied by the sound of clapping.

"Who are you?" Hastings asked.

"I am Purple Eyes," he said as he stepped out of the shadows, smiling. "It's been a while, hasn't it, everyone?"

"Purple Eyes! Could the reason you've come here be... to lend us a hand?" Summer questioned. He walked forward, stopping just at the middle of the room.

"Come now, don't get so worked up," the purple-clad man replied nonchalantly. "Just listen." His carefree mood suddenly soured as he stared at the Eon pokémon. "I was questioned day _after_ day at the Ranger Union... Even I finally had enough. Did I reflect on what I've done? Of course I did. As proof, I'm going to show you the strong bonds between people and pokémon you were talking about." He walked forward until he stood in front of Arceus, who glanced at him in curiosity. He held out his hands and kneeled before it.

"What are you...?" Ben wondered. Purple Eyes paid the latios little mind.

"It's simple. The wondrous Arceus's enemy is all of humankind. And as of recent events I can no longer trust people, so all humans are now also my enemy... I want to deepen our bond, because Arceus and I share a common enemy." Everyone stepped back in shock as Arceus's stare slowly turned into a glare. "O Arceus! I have no desire to rise above you," he proclaimed. "I only want to work beneath you, and help you shape a new world!"

"Purple Eyes..." the latias began, incensed. "You did all of those things, and went through all that... and you still haven't changed at all?!"

"Quiet! I'm speaking to Arceus right now!" he demanded. Purple Eyes then looked at it once more. "I beg you, O Arceus! Don't confuse me, Purple Eyes, with those who have simply tried to use you!" The glare intensified slightly as the lingering emotions returned. "I understand what you're envisioning, O Arceus. Doubtless, it's an act of vengeance toward humankind. In other words... You will destroy this world and reshape it anew, under a new ruler. If you would, _please_, let me help you..."

"**Enough**!" Arceus bellowed, regaining the dangerous shine it once had. Purple Eyes barely managed to dodge a bolt of lightning dropped onto him.

"Purple Eyes! What are you saying?!" the latios demanded. "Arceus doesn't want anything like that at all! You've made it even more angry!" Both Ben and Summer readied their Stylers. "We have no choice but to try." Before they could launch their capture discs, a bolt of lightning dropped in front of them, knocking them onto the floor and away from the impact site.

"Oh no!" Summer cried, more out of surprise than pain. Both Eon pokémon flew in front of everyone else to try and defend them.

"Arceus's rage and that shining wall are preventing the capture from working," Hastings noted.

"It looks like Arceus is serious..." Leanne lamented. "Oblivia's history is going to end here..." Arceus began to charge its signature Judgement attack as everyone backed away from the force. The pieces of the broken Nematic Radar began to spark and crackle before giving out once more.

"Huh? More distortions?" Pichu, Ben, and Summer wondered. Suddenly, the Creation Trio appeared, surrounding the Alpha pokémon.

"What?" Leanne asked. "What's happening?"

"There's more!" Murph cried, trembling. "It's over now!"

"Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina," Rand noticed. "Did Arceus call them here?"

"I don't think it did," Hastings remarked. "Arceus also seems surprised." All three legendaries unleashed their signature attacks, completely obliterating the barrier surrounding Arceus and interrupting it from passing Judgement.

"Look! The wall of light has been broken!" Leanne pointed out. Palkia took a look at Rand, Leanne, Hastings, Pichu, and Murph and forced them back with her spatial powers. A barrier surrounded the remaining group, protecting them from any potential projectiles.

"They're fine," Palkia reassured the rangers. "Pardon my defiance, but Arceus, do you really believe humans don't deserve to continue their existence?"

"**Indeed**!" Arceus replied adamantly. "The fact that they have created such things as the Sky Fortress and used it to oppress people and pokémon is more than enough justification." Amidst all this, Purple Eyes looked at the large legendary pokémon in confusion, unable to understand them.

"Are you still sore about those capture devices the humans call poké balls?" Giratina asked. "You've still never let that go, have you?" It subtly nodded to the rangers, who took this as an opportunity to use their Stylers to calm Arceus.

"It is an affront to all we stand for. The ability to enslave anyone- possibly myself included- is a disgrace." Arceus gradually began to calm down as the rangers conveyed their feelings to it, barely even paying attention to them.

"What say you about the capture device being used on you right now?" Dialga questioned. "Are you being enslaved? For that matter, are any pokémon truly enslaved by their trainers?"

"Most pokémon could have their trainer at their mercy if they really wanted to," Ben added. "Surely you know of many such instances."

"Admittedly... I do. There have been many times where pokémon of unsavory minds have done... certain things to their trainers against their wishes. However, such individuals led short lives as a result and can be just as undeserving of their existence as humans, if not a little more."

"Would it be wrong for me to say that I, as a former human, understand the concept of sacrifice?" Summer asked as they withdrew their Capture Discs. "Before we came to Oblivia and learned about ourselves, Ben and I were simply good friends with the same passion: making the world a better place for all walks of life. When he sacrificed himself to keep me safe from harm, I began to have deep feelings for him and knew he felt the same for me."

"Staraptor felt the urge to protect just like I did," Ben added, "and we're not the only ones who would do such a thing. People and pokémon all over the world have this inborn urge to defend their precious special someone from all who would mean them harm, even if they die as a result."

"Were it not for these two and two other humans, I would never have found my Griseous Orb and the power to return to my plain," Giratina said.

"Humans helped me recover from my wounds even after I had sent them back in time," Dialga stated.

"Despite the spatial disruption I caused, there were humans who went the extra mile to reach and heal me," Palkia recalled.

"Bearing this and many other incidents in mind, what say you, Arceus?" Giratina questioned. "Humans can indeed change for the better. Do you still believe this land doesn't deserve to continue existing?"

"For every negative, there is a positive. You taught me that," Palkia remarked. "There will always be someone willing to oppose the bad things in the world, whether they can do something about them or not."

"For the sake of this land, and many other lands," Dialga began, "we implore you to reconsider." Arceus's anger faded completely as it thought about all the evidence presented against its idea. It took one glance at Purple Eyes, who was still confused as to what was happening, and felt angry again, but when it looked at the pichu, the latias, and latios before it, and the group of humans in the barrier, the anger simmered away once more.

"...Very well," Arceus relented. Everyone sighed in relief. Palkia removed the barrier separating everyone. Hastings immediately noticed that Arceus was a lot calmer than before and stepped forward to speak.

"Arceus," he began solemnly, "we won't let anyone use this fortress again. If someone tries, I swear I'll put my life on the line to stop them myself."

"Please believe us... and the people of Oblivia!" Leanne pleaded. Arceus looked at them and nodded, already convinced, and closed its eyes.

"We all pledge to you, Arceus, that we won't make you feel such sorrow again!" Summer declared.

"All of you have earned another chance," Arceus responded. "Do not disappoint." A golden portal appeared beneath the Alpha pokémon.

"You're going back home now, right?" Rand asked.

"There is nothing left for me to do here, so of course."

"Arceus, _thank you_. You don't need to worry about Oblivia anymore," Professor Hastings stressed. "Please rest yourself in that other world where you live..."

"Of course, I will not be going home alone," Arceus said. Another golden portal appeared, this time in front of Purple Eyes.

"What's this?" Murph wondered. "Could Arceus be trying to take Purple Eyes along with it?" Purple Eyes looked at Arceus fearfully and backed away.

"Apparently, it's still worried about something," Hastings reasoned calmly, "and it looks like that worry is Purple Eyes. This doesn't look like an attack... We had better leave this to Arceus."

"Come forth, Purple Eyes! You and I have a few things to discuss!" Arceus demanded. The portal began to draw him in much like a magnet would to a paperclip.

"No! ...Don't!" he wailed fearfully as he attempted to fight the suction by running away. The portal slowly drew him in. "I like the world I was born in! I've seen the error of my ways. Just don't take me to some weird other world!" Arceus and all the other pokémon were amused by the purple-clad, formerly vengeful man's "sudden change of heart" and his attempt to overcome a small fraction of its power. Suddenly, the suction stopped, causing Purple Eyes to fall flat on his face. It then took that opportunity to suck him in for real, and he spiraled into the light in fear. At the same time, Arceus disappeared into its own portal.

"Arceus! I don't really care about a bond between us at all!" everyone heard him scream. "So please, don't take me to another world!" Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina followed him into the portal.

"Dialga! Palkia! Giratina! And Arceus!" Ben called into the portal. "Thank you, everyone!" With that, it dissipated.

"I don't think we need to worry about Purple Eyes," Hastings said reassuringly. "When he has a true change of heart, Arceus will probably return him to this world." Murph checked the damaged Nematic Radar after relocating a few pieces.

"Everyone! The distortions of space have all disappeared now!" he announced. "Amazing that this gadget can still work after all that."

"So then, those three noticed something strange in Oblivia and came here through distortions in space," Rand deduced.

"The people of Oblivia and those three legendary pokémon were connected by a bond that transcends history..." Leanne said. Hastings stepped in front of everyone.

"Arceus gave humankind just one more chance," he stated seriously. "We have to make it so that when Arceus shows itself again, it will compliment us on our growth." He took on a lighter tone. "Well, then... Let's wrap this up. Heroes of a modern age, it's a Mission Clear!" Another portal suddenly appeared before the Eon duo, surprising everyone.

"Latias! Latios!" Arceus's voice came from the portal. "Or should I say Summer and Ben! I see that it was wise of Ho-Oh to petition for your resurrection. You two and your allies have served your home well. May you continue to defend it from lingering threats and may you always have each other. You have my blessing." As the portal faded, both Eon pokémon looked at each other and kissed before flying away.

"I knew it!" Murph cried happily.

"Well it certainly is no secret," Leanne said with a smile. "After all, just like me and Rand, they were made for each other." She then kissed her own husband on the cheek, who only blushed and looked away in response.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends Pokémon Ranger: Secret of Oblivia. I'm glad you took the time to read it from beginning to end. So, now that you've reached the end, what do you think? What could have been done better?<strong>

**I had an idea for a Quest series in which they complete various quests for others, but I don't think it'll go far. I also had another idea in which we get to see what Purple Eyes has to do now that Arceus has kidnapped (is that wrong to say?) him. I'm not big on humor, so I'm probably not gonna be doing that.**

**Review, and thank you very much once again. You have been amazing for coming this far.**


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